Low TGF-β and Embryo Implantation in the Context of Assisted Reproductive Technology: Confirmation of a Biomarker Predictive of Success and Characterization of the Immune Microenvironment. (ImmuNoFertilit)

October 13, 2026 updated by: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

Low TGF-β and Embryo Implantation in the Context of Assisted Reproductive Technology: Confirmation of a Biomarker Predictive of Success and Characterization of the Immune Microenvironment - ImmuNoFertilité 2

Infertility affects about one in seven couples in France. Beyond the medical and personal challenges, it has major societal implications. In vitro fertilization (IVF) offers hope to these couples, but success rates remain modest (about 30% per embryo transfer). The failure of embryo implantation is multifactorial. Among the factors involved, immune status at the time of embryo transfer plays a central role. Embryo transfer induces an acute pro-inflammatory immune response, and inadequate regulation of this response could compromise implantation.

The investigators have previously identified a promising immune biomarker: TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor Beta). In a prospective cohort of 255 patients undergoing frozen embryo transfer, the investigators demonstrated that low circulating levels of TGF-β following nonspecific stimulation of immune cells on the day of embryo transfer were associated with a significant increase in the likelihood of implantation and live birth.

These results now require independent validation in a new cohort to establish their robustness and explore potential clinical applications. The investigators hypothesize that measuring TGF-β concentration following stimulation can predict the success of embryo implantation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • France
    • Alpes-Mritimes
      • Nice, Alpes-Mritimes, France, 06200
        • CHU Nice - Hôpital de l'Archet 2
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Infertile woman

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Adult women,
  2. Undergoing IVF treatment at the Nice University Hospital for frozen embryo transfer following a semi-natural or stimulated cycle,
  3. Enrolled in the social security system,
  4. No objection to participating in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Any contraindication to frozen embryo transfer
  2. Patients receiving donated gametes during this embryo transfer attempt
  3. Current infectious disease
  4. Patients protected by law who are under guardianship or conservatorship, or who are ineligible to participate in a clinical trial pursuant to Article L. 1121-16 of the French Public Health Code;
  5. Patients subject to a judicial protective measure.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Low circulating levels of TGF-β
Time Frame: 24 months

To conduct an exploratory validation, in an independent cohort, of the association between low circulating levels of TGF-β-following nonspecific cellular stimulation at the time of frozen embryo transfer (after a semi-natural or stimulated cycle)-and an increased likelihood of embryo implantation.

Embryo implantation will be confirmed by the visualization of an intrauterine gestational sac on an ultrasound performed during the first trimester following embryo transfer.
24 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Correlation between TGF-β and the number of live births.
Time Frame: 24 months

Confirm the correlation between low levels of stimulated TGF-β and the number of live births by noting the final outcome of the pregnancy: live birth or stillbirth.
24 months
Circulating lymphocyte populations
Time Frame: 24 months

Study circulating lymphocyte populations and their functional profile (intracellular cytokines) by flow cytometry, measuring cytokine levels (IL-1R, IL-2R, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-4, TGF-β, IL-12p70, IL-5 (in pg/ml)) found in cell supernatants following nonspecific stimulation (anti-CD3 agonist + TLR7/8 ligand), lymphocyte phenotyping (Th1, Th2, Treg, NK), and intracellular cytokine measurement by flow cytometry.
24 months
Impact of exposure to air pollution
Time Frame: 24 months

Assess the impact of exposure to air pollution on immune status and the success of embryo transfer by measuring average exposure to PM10, PM2.5, NO2, and O3 (in µg/m³) during the 6 months preceding embryo transfer.
24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 30, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
October 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 13, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 26-PP-14

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings