SERUM AND FOLLICULAR FLUID PEDF/VEGF ANGIOGENIC INDEX AS A PREDICTOR OF EMBRYO QUALITY AND PREGNANCY RATE IN ICSI CYCLES

Hanan Abdulrazzaq Abdulazeez; Mufeda Ali Jwad; Muayad Sraibet Abbod

doi:10.61796/jmgcb.v3i5.1727

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Hanan Abdulrazzaq Abdulazeez
dr.hanan72@gmail.com
Department of Physiology, Al-Nahrain University, Iraq
Mufeda Ali Jwad Department of Physiology, Al-Nahrain University, Iraq
Muayad Sraibet Abbod Department of Physiology, Al-Nahrain University, Iraq

Vol. 3 No. 5 (2026): Journal of Medical Genetics and Clinical Biology

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March 19, 2026

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Objective: To assess the angiogenic index of PEDF/VEGF in both serum and follicular fluid (FF), and to examine its relationship with oocyte maturation, embryo quality, and pregnancy outcomes in women facing infertility who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted on ninety (90) women with infertility undergoing ICSI at the High Institute for Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technology, Baghdad, Iraq, from November 2023–April 2025. Serum and FF samples were collected on the day of oocyte retrieval. PEDF and VEGF levels were measured using ELISA, and the PEDF/VEGF index was computed. Oocyte maturation, fertilization rate, embryo grading, and pregnancy outcomes were evaluated. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in PEDF levels from serum and FF, VEGF levels, or the PEDF/VEGF index (p > 0.05). The PEDF/VEGF index did not correlate significantly with oocyte factors, including retrieval, metaphase II, and maturation rate. However, significant correlations were observed with early embryology parameters: pronuclei (p = 0.021), Grade 1 embryos (p = 0.03), and fertilization rate (p = 0.04). Serum and FF PEDF/VEGF values were higher in women who achieved pregnancy than those who did not (p = 0.0001). Novelty: The FF PEDF/VEGF index is the first predictive biomarker of ICSI outcomes in the Iraqi population. The index reflects ovarian angiogenic balance and may be a superior predictor of embryo quality and pregnancy rate compared to individual PEDF or VEGF levels. Total kata: ≈195.

Abdulazeez, H. A., Jwad, M. A., & Abbod, M. S. (2026). SERUM AND FOLLICULAR FLUID PEDF/VEGF ANGIOGENIC INDEX AS A PREDICTOR OF EMBRYO QUALITY AND PREGNANCY RATE IN ICSI CYCLES. Journal of Medical Genetics and Clinical Biology, 3(5), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.61796/jmgcb.v3i5.1727

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