Detection of IL-1β in culture media supernatants of pre-implantation human embryos; its relation with embryo grades and development

In this study, we aimed to determine whether human embryos secrete interleukin-1β (IL-1β) into culture media and its correlation with embryo grade and development. Culture media supernatants of 100 embryos obtained from 39 cycles of 38 patients and cultivated individually were collected 2 and 3 days after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). IL-1β concentrations of samples were determined with ELISA and compared with embryo grades and blastomere numbers. Embryo grades and the amount of IL-1β they secreted were found not to be correlated (p:0.559). Numbers of blastomeres each embryo had at 2nd and 3rd days were found to be correlated with IL-1β secreted (p:0.00 and p:0.00, respectively). Mean amount of IL-1β secreted by the embryos from ejaculated sperm cycles were found to be significantly higher than that of embryos from TESE cycles (p:0.016). Patient age and etiology of infertility were not correlated with the amount of IL-1β secreted and embryo grade. In conclusion, preimplantation human embryos secrete IL-1β in their media in amounts correlated with their blastomere numbers.