Observational Study to Assess the Therapeutic Value of Four Ovarian Hyperstimulation Protocols in IVF After Pituitary Suppression with GnRH Antagonists in Normally Responding Women.

Objective: To compare the clinical results of four different protocols of COH for IVF-ICSI in normovulatory women, using in all cases pituitary suppression with GnRH antagonists.

Materials/methods: A single center, open label, parallel-controlled, prospective, post-authorization study under the approved conditions for use where 305 normal responders women who were candidates to COH were assigned to r-FSH +hp-hMG (n = 51, Group I), hp-hMG (n = 61, Group II), fixed-dose r-FSH (n = 118, Group III), and r-FSH with potential dose adjustment (n = 75, Group IV) to subsequently undergo IVF-ICSI.

Results: During stimulation, Group IV needed significantly more days of stimulation as compared to Group II [8.

Vascular endothelial growth factor polymorphisms (-460C/T, +405G/C, and 936C/T) and endometriosis: their influence on vascular endothelial growth factor expression.

Objective: To analyze three functional vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphisms (-460C/T, +405G/C, and 936C/T) in women with and without endometriosis and their correlation with VEGF expression in endometrial tissue and peritoneal fluid (PF).

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: University-based hospital.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G polymorphism and endometriosis. Influence of PAI-1 polymorphism on PAI-1 antigen and mRNA expression.

Introduction: Endometriosis is a benign gynecologic disease with a high prevalence. It is a multifactorial and polygenic entity in which the fibrinolytic system may be implicated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G polymorphism in a group of women with and without endometriosis and to analyze the influence of this polymorphism in PAI-1 expression in endometrial tissue and peritoneal fluid.

[Evolution of the bone mass of hypertense menopausal women in treatment with fosinopril].

Background And Objective: The renin-angiotensin system (SRA) acts on the bone metabolism and decreases the mineralization. Menopausal women frequently are hypertense and have risk of developing osteoporosis. The inhibition of SRA could favour the mineralization and protect the bone mass of hypertense women in treatment with antihypertensive drugs that are angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.

Insulin growth factors may be implicated in human sperm capacitation.

This study was designed to determine whether or not insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and its receptor are present in the human male genital tract. The IGF-1 receptor was found in seminal plasma from fertile and infertile men, but no IGF-1 receptor was observed in sperm from patients with a history of more failed fertilization. The presence of the IGF-1 receptor in the plasma membrane of human sperm is proposed as a future tool for male sterility assessment.

Plasminogen activators and plasminogen activator inhibitors in endometriosis.

Endometriosis is one of the most frequent benign gynecological diseases that affect women. Little is known about the pathogenesis and etiology of endometriosis, despite the numerous studies performed in this field. Although endometriosis is a benign disease, the endometrial tissue, after attachment to the peritoneum, has the ability to grow and invade the surrounding tissues.

Carbohydrate analysis of the zona pellucida and cortical granules of human oocytes by means of ultrastructural cytochemistry.

Background: The zona pellucida (ZP), the mammalian oocyte coat, consists of a restricted number of highly glycosylated proteins. In vitro sperm binding studies suggest a higher binding affinity for the outer region of the ZP compared to its inner region in different species. However, the reason for this difference in binding distribution remains unresolved.

Cost-effectiveness of recombinant versus urinary follicle-stimulating hormone in assisted reproduction techniques in the Spanish public health care system.

Purpose: To evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of recombinant and urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in assisted reproduction techniques in the Spanish National Health Service.

Methods: Markov modelling was used to compare costs and outcomes of three complete treatment cycles using recombinant or urinary FSH for controlled ovarian stimulation. Cost and effectiveness estimates were obtained from the literature and from Spanish clinicians.