Vertebral osteomyelitis: a rare complication of transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval.

Objective: To present a case of vertebral osteomyelitis as a complication of transvaginal oocyte retrieval.

Design: Case report.

Setting: The IVF unit of a university-affiliated hospital.

Follicular fluid levels of vascular endothelial growth factor. Are they predictive markers for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome?

Objective: To determine the possible predictive role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in the follicular fluid (FF) at the time of oocyte retrieval in the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and its possible origin.

Study Design: FF was obtained from 174 high-responder patients at the time of oocyte retrieval. The study group comprised 16 high-responder patients who developed early, severe OHSS and from whom serum and peritoneal fluid (PF) were obtained during the active phase of the syndrome.

Does ICSI affect early serum beta-HCG in pregnancies achieved after IVF?

This study was conducted to compare early serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) concentrations in singleton pregnancies achieved after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), with those achieved after conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Early serum HCG, 14-16 days after embryo transfer, was analysed in 99 IVF pregnancies achieved after ICSI (group A), and compared to 105 conventional IVF pregnancies (group B). All women were treated at the IVF Unit, Lis Maternity Hospital.

The diagnostic value of power Doppler measurements in the endometrium of women with postmenopausal bleeding.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the accuracy of blood flow measurements by power Doppler in endometrial vessels in women with postmenopausal bleeding (PMB).

Methods: Sixty consecutive patients with PMB participated in the study. Endometrial thickness and power Doppler measurements of small vessels in the endometrium and subendometrial tissue were performed prior to dilatation and curettage.

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 in normal, failed, and ectopic pregnancy.

Problem: Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is involved in early pregnancy establishment. This study sought to determine whether soluble VCAM-1 (sVCAM-1) serum levels differ among normal, failed, and ectopic pregnancy, its capacity to serve as a marker for pregnancy viability or ectopic pregnancy, and its correlation with serum progesterone and beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (PHCG) levels.

Method Of Study: Maternal serum samples were obtained from 20 women with ectopic, 10 with normal, and 10 with failed intra-uterine pregnancy, all of comparable gestational age.

Do soluble cell adhesion molecules play a role in endometriosis?

Problem: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with diverse immunologic disturbances. Cell adhesion molecules are essential for the development of immune and inflammatory reactions. This study was conducted to investigate whether or not serum and peritoneal levels of soluble cell adhesion molecules are altered in women with endometriosis.

Intrauterine insemination before transfer of frozen-thawed embryos may improve the pregnancy rate for couples with unexplained infertility: preliminary results of a randomized prospective study.

Objective: To evaluate whether a combination of IUI and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FT-ET) with ovulation induction would improve the PR in couples with unexplained infertility.

Design: Prospective, randomized study.

Setting: In Vitro Fertilization Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Prednisone and aspirin improve pregnancy rate in patients with reproductive failure and autoimmune antibodies: a prospective study.

Problem: The study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of prednisone and aspirin in autoantibody seropositive patients with repeated in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF ET) failure.

Methods Of Study: The study group comprised 52 consecutive patients seropositive for non-organ-specific autoantibodies, i.e.

Second-trimester multifetal pregnancy reduction facilitates prenatal diagnosis before the procedure.

Objective: To evaluate the pregnancy outcome of selective second-trimester multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) compared to first-trimester MFPR.

Design: Cohort analysis.

Setting: In Vitro Fertilization Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Patients with stages III and IV endometriosis have a poorer outcome of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer than patients with tubal infertility.

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of IVF in patients with stages III and IV endometriosis.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: The Sara Racine IVF Unit, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel.

Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor are elevated in patients with ectopic pregnancy: is this a novel marker?

Objective: To determine serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and evaluate their capacity to serve as a marker for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (EP).

Design: Prospective, case-controlled study.

Setting: A tertiary care center.

The possible role of antiovary antibodies in repeated in vitro fertilization failures.

Problem: The study was conducted to investigate the possible role of circulating ovarian autoantibodies (ov-ab) in patients with repeated in vitro fertilization embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failure and to evaluate the effectiveness of immunosuppression treatment in these patients.

Method Of Study: The study group comprised 80 IVF patients who had five or more failed treatment cycles (mean 10.2; range 7-22).

Anaerobic glycolysis. The metabolism of the preovulatory human oocyte.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the process of glycolysis in gonadotropic, hyperstimulated, human ovarian follicles.

Study Design: Follicular fluid (FF) lactate and glucose concentrations were measured in 26 patients with tubal factor infertility undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment.

Results: The mean FF lactate and glucose concentrations were 3.

Pregnancy rate in IVF rescue in high responders to human menopausal gonadotropin.

Purpose: In vitro fertilization had been previously suggested by us as a means of "rescue" for patients with imminent ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) during treatment with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG). We evaluated the pregnancy rate of rescued IVF cycles.

Methods: During the years 1994-1995, women treated with hMG and at risk of developing OHSS were referred to our IVF unit.

Testicular sperm retrieval and cryopreservation prior to initiating ovarian stimulation as the first line approach in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

The potency for fertilization and successful implantation was compared between fresh and cryopreserved testicular spermatozoa obtained from the same patient with non-obstructive azoospermia. Spermatozoa cryopreserved at the outset were also evaluated. Non-obstructive azoospermic men (n = 55) underwent testicular sperm extraction (TESE); mature spermatozoa were found in 33 (60%) of them.

Complement deposition on immune complexes reduces the frequencies of metabolic, proteolytic, and superoxide oscillations of migrating neutrophils.

Neutrophils exhibit intrinsic sinusoidal metabolite concentration oscillations of 3 min in resting cells and an additional approximately 10- or 20-s oscillation in migrating/adhering cells. To better understand immune complex (IC)-mediated leukocyte activation, we have studied neutrophil metabolic oscillations in the presence of ICs either with or without fixed complement. Using a microscope photometer we quantitated NAD(P)H autofluorescence oscillations.

The effect of isosorbide dinitrate on placental blood flow and maternal blood pressure in women with pregnancy induced hypertension.

The effect of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN) on maternal and fetal circulation was assessed in 23 women with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). A double-blind randomized design was employed. Each woman was given a sublingual tablet of ISDN (5 mg) or placebo.

Levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 are increased in women with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Objective: To determine whether plasma and peritoneal fluid levels of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) are altered in women with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

Design: Prospective, case-control study.

Setting: Lis Maternity Hospital and the Sara Racine IVF Unit, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Do placentae of term singleton pregnancies obtained by assisted reproductive technologies differ from those of spontaneously conceived pregnancies?

The study was conducted to investigate the association of placental morphological and histopathological features with term, singleton pregnancies obtained by assisted reproductive technologies (ART). The study group comprised 45 consecutive women with a singleton pregnancy, obtained by ART, who delivered at term. For each subject in the study group, the consecutive, matched-for-age-and-parity woman, with a term singleton, spontaneously conceived pregnancy served as the controls.

Relationship between human sperm lipid peroxidation, comprehensive quality parameters and IVF outcome.

The membranes of human spermatozoa contain an extremely high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids and are therefore susceptible to lipid peroxidation damage. The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine the association between the lipid peroxidation levels of washed spermatozoa, as indicated by thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substance concentration, and: (a) semen quality evaluated by basic routine, biochemical, cytological and quantitative ultramorphological analyses; (b) IVF fertilization rate. Semen samples from 45 male partners of couples who had been referred for IVF treatment due to a female infertility factor were evaluated for quality as well as for thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substance concentrations.

Multiple testicular sampling in non-obstructive azoospermia--is it necessary?

Spermatogenesis may be focal in non-obstructive azoospermia. The present study was conducted to determine whether the performance of multiple, rather than a single testicular sample contributes to obtaining spermatozoa in amounts sufficient for fertilization and cryopreservation in non-obstructive, azoospermic patients. Furthermore, the aim was to clarify the significance of location for retrieval from the testis in such cases.

A 3 year, prospectively-designed study of late selective multifetal pregnancy reduction.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the pregnancy outcomes of late selective multifetal reduction (MFPR). We performed a 3 year, prospectively-designed study in which 28 patients underwent MFPR at a mean gestational age of 20.2 +/- 3.

Oocyte donation in Israel: a study of 1001 initiated treatment cycles.

There are numerous studies concerning pregnancy rates in oocyte donation, yet only a handful report the obstetric outcome in such pregnancies. The purpose of this study was to assess factors that influence pregnancy rates, to determine the incidence of complications, and to evaluate obstetric outcome in pregnancies resulting from oocyte donation. This study included 423 oocyte recipients who underwent 1001 oocyte donation cycles at the Oocyte Donation Programme, In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF)-Embryo Transfer Unit, Herzlia Medical Center, Israel.