Lower endometrial receptivity in HIV-infected women receiving oocyte donation: a comorbidity of HIV infection?

STUDY QUESTION: Are the reproductive outcomes of HIV-infected donor oocyte recipient women comparable to those of non-infected women? SUMMARY ANSWER: HIV-infected women have lower clinical pregnancy and live birth rates than non-infected women. WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN: The literature on the effect of HIV infection on reproductive outcome is scarce at best; the only report to date comparing oocyte donation cycles in HIV-infected women versus non-infected controls found no differences in pregnancy rates between the two groups. However, this study was performed nearly a decade ago and did not evaluate the effect of immuno-virological characteristics of oocyte recipients or the HIV antiretroviral therapy effect. STUDY DESIGN SIZE, AND DURATION: This is a matched-cohort study including 514 oocyte donation cycles, 257 from HIV-infected women and 257 non-infected controls, performed between April 2004 and November 2014. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, AND METHOD: Each cycle of an HIV-infected woman (n = 257) was matched with a cycle of a non-infected woman (1:1). Biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy and live birth in the two groups were compared using a multivariate logistic regression analysis. The effect of antiretroviral treatment options on pregnancy outcomes of HIV-infected women was analyzed using a logistic regression model adjusted for time elapsed from diagnosis, and CD4 levels and viral load prior to embryo transfer. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Cycles of HIV-infected patients receiving oocyte donation presented lower pregnancy and live birth rates than matched non-infected controls. Treatment options and infection parameters analyzed do not seem to affect the reproductive results in HIV-infected women. The variable most influencing pregnancy outcomes was the number of transferred embryos; lower pregnancy rates were obtained after single embryo transfer. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: Patients with HIV infection have specific health issues, such as infection/treatment side effects, which makes it impossible to find a matching control group of non-infected patients for these variables. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: HIV-infected women receiving donated oocytes present lower pregnancy rates when compared to non-infected controls, regardless of the antiretroviral treatment followed. The complexity of the treatments (both in medication types and combinations) makes it difficult to define whether any one treatment option is better than the others in terms of pregnancy outcomes in oocyte recipients. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: None. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Not applicable.