Endometrial receptivity assay (ERA)

Taiwan IVF Group is proud to be the first IVF center in Taiwan to offer the latest infertility treatment: Endometrial receptivity assay (ERA)

Endometrial receptivity assay (ERA) is used to assess endometrial status and to determine whether the patient’s endometrium had a receptive gene profile or not at the time in which the biopsy has been performed.

The analysis reveals the timing of the implantation window and leads to a personalised embryo transfer (pET) timing based on the individual results obtained.

The result from the test will determine if a woman is receptive or not in the day and kind of cycle in which the biopsy has been performed. If she is receptive, it means that her window of implantation is placed in the day in which the biopsy was performed and therefore the blastocyst could implant during this day and kind of cycle.

A non receptive result could imply a displaced window of implantation. Therefore, a second biopsy would be needed in order to validate this displacement. For that, an specific day for the second biopsy will be suggested according with the first result obtained. This will allow the implantation in a subsequent cycle with a Personalized Embryo Transfer (pET).

What is ERA?

It is a state-of-the-art diagnostic method, which was developed and patented by IVIGEN after more than 10 years of research. This technic allows to evaluate, from a molecular point of view, the status of the endometrial receptivity.

ERA indicates the window of implantation (WOI), increasing your chances of successful transfer The endometrial receptivity is the status in which the endometrium is ready for embryo implantation to take place. This occurs around days 19-21 in each menstrual cycle of a fertile woman. Until now, the only study done on the endometrium was an ultrasound scan, and there was not analysis method available to help doctors in their clinical practice.

Now, during the process to treat an infertile couple, the ERA test (Endometrial Receptivity Array) leads to the evaluation, at molecular level, of the endometrial factor. This molecular tool allows us to diagnose whether the endometrium is receptive or not by analysing the expression of a group of genes related to endometrial receptivity. For that, an endometrial biopsy must be performed at P+5 (hormone replacement therapy cycle) or at LH+7 (natural cycle), and after its shipment to our instalations, the expression of 238 genes is analyzed. According with these expression values, the endometrium is classified as receptive or non receptive by a computational predictor.

What is ERA for?

The ERA test is used to assess endometrial status and to determine whether the patient’s endometrium had a receptive gene profile or not at the time in which the biopsy has been performed.

The analysis reveals the timing of the implantation window and leads to a personalised embryo transfer (pET) timing based on the individual results obtained.

The result from the test will determine if a woman is receptive or not in the day and kind of cycle in which the biopsy has been performed. If she is receptive, it means that her window of implantation is placed in the day in which the biopsy was performed and therefore the blastocyst could implant during this day and kind of cycle.

A non receptive result could imply a displaced window of implantation. Therefore, a second biopsy would be needed in order to validate this displacement. For that, an specific day for the second biopsy will be suggested according with the first result obtained. This will allow the implantation in a subsequent cycle with a Personalized Embryo Transfer (pET).

Who is it for and why?

This test has been tested in patients who have had implantation failure with embryos of good morphological quality (at least 3 failed embryo transfers for younger women or two in patients 37 years or more). This test is recommended for patients with apparently normal uterus and with normal endometrial thickness (≤6mm), in which no problems are apparent.

A displaced implantation window is detected in approximately 20% of these patients.

This analysis allows the implantation window to be located, allowing personalised embryo transfer (pET) to be performed based on these individual results.This test must be prescribed by a physician and the result will be sent to the doctor. It will never be sent to the patient. The physician who prescribe the test will be responsible of sending the report to the patient.

Advantages. What are its advantages over the other tests?

Being a receptivity endometrial diagnostic method, the ERA determines the personalised window of implantation for each patient before to begin an asisted reproductive treatment.

The ERA test has shown high sensitivity and specificity detecting gene expression profiles associated with receptivity.

Endometrial state dating has been classically determined based on histological criteria. However, this method has been shown not to discriminate between fertile and infertile patients and involves a high degree of subjectivity, meaning these results cannot be applied in the clinic. The ERA test overcomes these problems.

To find out more about ERA at Taiwan IVF Group, please contact us at: info@taiwanivfgroup.com