Calcifediol (25OHD) Deficiency and Its Treatment in Women's Health and Fertility.

Currently, there is abundant scientific evidence showing that the vitamin D endocrine system (VDES) is a highly complex endocrine system with multiple actions in different regions of the body. The unequivocal presence of vitamin D receptors in different tissues related to fertility, and to specific aspects of women's health such as pregnancy, undoubtedly implies functions of this steroid hormone in both male and female fertility and establishes relationships with different outcomes of human gestation. In order to review the role of the VDES in human fertility, we evaluated the relationships established between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (calcifediol) deficiency and in vitro fertilization, as well as aspects related to ovarian reserve and fertility, and commonly diagnosed endocrinopathies such as polycystic ovary disease.

Marginal differences in preimplantation morphokinetics between conventional IVF and ICSI in patients with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A): A sibling oocyte study.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the morphokinetic behaviour between conventional IVF and ICSI, in cycles with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A).

Materials: A randomized controlled trial (NCT03708991) was conducted in a private fertility center. Thirty couples with non-male factor infertility were recruited between November 2018 and April 2019.

Female parental consanguinity is associated with a reduced ovarian reserve.

Research Question: Is parental consanguinity associated with a reduced ovarian reserve in women from the Arabian Peninsula, comparing anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC)?

Design: Retrospective large-scale observational study including 2482 women from the Arabian Peninsula, aged 19-49 years, who had their serum AMH and AFC measured as part of their fertility assessment, from May 2015 to November 2019. Consanguinity was defined as women whose parents were first-degree or second-degree cousins. Serum AMH was measured for all participants.

Day 5 vs day 6 single euploid blastocyst frozen embryo transfers: which variables do have an impact on the clinical pregnancy rates?

Objective: To determine which variables affect most the clinical pregnancy rate with positive fetal heartbeat (CPR FHB+) when frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles are performed with day 5 (D5) or day 6 (D6) euploid blastocysts. Design and method A single center retrospective study was performed from March 2017 till February 2021 including all single FET cycles with euploid D5 or D6 blastocysts and transferred in natural cycles (NC) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cycles. Trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) qualities were recorded before biopsy.

Ethnic and Sociocultural Differences in Ovarian Reserve: Age-Specific Anti-Müllerian Hormone Values and Antral Follicle Count for Women of the Arabian Peninsula.

Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) age-specific reference values form the basis of infertility treatments, yet they were based upon studies performed primarily on Caucasian populations. However, they may vary across different age-matched ethnic populations. This study aimed to describe age-specific serum AMH and AFC for women native to the Arabian Peninsula.

The position of the euploid blastocyst in the uterine cavity influences implantation.

Research Question: Does the position of the euploid blastocyst in the uterine cavity upon transfer, measured as distance in millimetres (mm) from the fundus (DFF) to the air bubble, influence implantation potential?

Design: A total of 507 single/double euploid frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles at blastocyst stage were included retrospectively between March 2017 and November 2018 at a single centre. The patients were on average 33.3 years old.

Different CO settings (6.0% vs 7.0%) do have an impact on extracellular pH of culture medium (pHe) and euploidy rates rather than on blastocyst development: a sibling oocyte study.

Objective: To determine whether euploidy rates and blastocyst development differ in a continuous culture medium under different CO concentrations.

Design And Method: A single-center retrospective study was performed from July 2018 to October 2019 including 44 fresh cycles with at least four fresh mature oocytes (MII) without severe male factor infertility. Sibling MII were injected and cultured in Global®Total®LP under 6.

Euploidy rates are not affected when embryos are cultured in a continuous (CCM) or sequential culture medium (SCM): a sibling oocyte study.

Purpose: To determine if euploidy rates and embryo development differ when blastocysts are cultured in CCM or SCM.

Method: A single-center retrospective observational study was performed from September 2018 to March 2019. Patients [23-46 years] with at least four fresh mature oocytes (MII) without severe male factor infertility were included.

Vitamin D in Follicular Fluid Correlates With the Euploid Status of Blastocysts in a Vitamin D Deficient Population.

Context: The widespread distribution of the Vitamin D (VitD) receptor in reproductive tissues suggests an important role for VitD in human reproduction. The assessment of patient´s VitD is based on the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) metabolite measurement. However, most of the circulating 25(OH)D is bound to either VitD-binding protein (VDBP) (88%) or albumin (12%) and less than 1% circulates free.

Does blastocyst mitochondrial DNA content affect miscarriage rate in patients undergoing single euploid frozen embryo transfer?

Purpose: To determine whether the blastocyst mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content is related to the miscarriage rate in patients undergoing single euploid frozen embryo transfer (SEFET).

Methods: A total of 355 single euploid frozen embryo transfer cycles were studied retrospectively between April 2017 and December 2018. A trophectoderm biopsy was performed on day 5/6 blastocysts.

Anti-Müllerian hormone is an independent marker for oocyte survival after vitrification.

Research Question: This study explored the relationship between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and oocyte survival after vitrification. The association between AMH and blastocyst formation after oocyte vitrification was also assessed.

Design: A retrospective observational analysis was performed in a private IVF centre.

Blastocyst mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is not affected by oocyte vitrification: a sibling oocyte study.

Purpose: To evaluate whether mtDNA content at the blastocyst stage differs between embryos derived from fresh or vitrified sibling oocytes.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed between March 2017 and September 2018, including 504 blastocysts from 94 couples undergoing preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A), using fresh oocytes together with previously vitrified oocytes. Trophectoderm biopsies were performed and subjected to next generation sequencing.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is not superior to conventional IVF in couples with non-male factor infertility and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A).

Study Question: Does the insemination method impact the euploidy outcome in couples with non-male factor infertility?

Summary Answer: Conventional IVF can be applied in cycles with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A), as both IVF and ICSI generate equal numbers of euploid blastocysts.

What Is Known Already: Ever since its introduction, the popularity of ICSI has increased tremendously, even in couples with non-male factor infertility. The use of conventional IVF is a contraindication for couples undergoing PGT to ensure monospermic fertilisation and to eliminate potential paternal contamination from extraneous sperm attached to the zona pellucida.

mtDNA dynamics between cleavage-stage embryos and blastocysts.

Purpose: The aim was to evaluate mtDNA content and its dynamics in euploid and aneuploid embryos from cleavage to blastocyst stage following consecutive biopsies. The effect of female age on mtDNA content was evaluated by comparing reproductively younger (≤ 37 years) with older (> 37 years) women.

Methods: A retrospective single-centre descriptive study was performed between August 2016 and January 2017.

Cleavage stage mitochondrial DNA is correlated with preimplantation human embryo development and ploidy status.

Purpose: To evaluate whether the mitoscore of cleavage stage embryos might correlate with developmental kinetics and the ploidy status.

Materials: This retrospective single-center study involved all cycles between April 2016 and April 2018 in which preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) on day 3 was performed. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and embryo ploidy were determined on 375 single blastomere biopsies by next generation sequencing (NGS).

Clinical reassessment of human embryo ploidy status between cleavage and blastocyst stage by Next Generation Sequencing.

One of the most important limitations of genetic testing in preimplantation embryos is embryonic mosaicism, especially when performed on D3 with only a single blastomere evaluated. Previous publications, using Array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization (a-CGH) to compare day 3 (D3) biopsies versus trophectoderm biopsies for the analysis of aneuploid embryos, showed similar high concordance rates per embryo diagnosis for D3 biopsies and trophectoderm biopsies. Next generation sequencing (NGS) was introduced lately as a new technique for preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A).