Prevalence of Fungi in Human Follicular Fluid and Its Potential Impact on In Vitro Fertilization Process

Infertility is a significant interest as a global public health concern and is considered a big issue in Saudi society. Therefore, a lot of people choose to have in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures to help women become pregnant. Follicular fluid (FF) is a potential source of microbes that may influence the results of the IVF procedure. Aim: The present study investigated the fungi isolated within 50 FF of women undergoing IVF procedure and the effect of these microbes on the IVF outcomes. Methodology: All yeast isolates were identified based on morphological characteristics, biochemical, and molecular analysis. Also, we determined the antimicrobial susceptibility against the yeast isolates. Results: Three Candida species belong to one genus were detected within 10% of FF samples and 90% did not show any fungal growth. The predominant species was Candida glabrata with (60%), followed by C. albicans (20%), and C. guilliermondii with (20%). All Candida species isolated showed the highest susceptibility against Micafungin and Voriconazole. There was no statistically significant difference in the IVF outcomes with the presence of microbes. Conclusion: Follicular fluid is not always sterile, but it contains different species of yeasts that are not correlated with the IVF outcomes and a larger sample is needed to further examine our hypothesis. Also, microbiological examination of FF in women who have undergone failed IVF cycles may provide an opportunity to initiate antimicrobial therapy before the next conception.