Publications by authors named "Anna Gala"
Article Synopsis
- This study compared sperm analysis results from manual methods versus the SQA-Vision sperm analyser over four years, involving 1,130 patient cases.
- No significant differences were found in sperm parameters between the two methods, indicating a strong correlation in results.
- The SQA-V system displayed high sensitivity and specificity across various analyses (e.g., sperm motility and morphology), suggesting it is reliable for routine use.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates whether artificial shrinkage of blastocysts before fresh transfer increases clinical pregnancy rates in IVF, involving 150 couples in a randomized and controlled pilot study.
- Results showed no significant differences in clinical pregnancy rates, live birth rates, or other outcomes between the control group and the group that underwent artificial shrinkage.
- The authors conclude that further extensive randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these initial findings.
[The impact of oocyte cryopreservation time in oocyte donation on the clinical success rate].
Gynecol Obstet Fertil Senol
April 2023
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess how the duration of storage affects the success rates of oocyte donation cycles by analyzing 156 cases from January 2012 to September 2021.
- Researchers classified the donated oocytes based on how long they had been cryopreserved, ranging from less than 3 months to over 2 years, and compared their thawing survival rates and fertilization outcomes.
- Results showed that while longer storage impacted the survival rates post-thaw, it did not significantly affect fertilization rates or clinical outcomes, indicating the need for further research with larger samples to confirm findings.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of Polish citizens and the accessibility of mental health support during this time.
- A survey of 1,080 adults revealed that 70% reported experiencing mental health issues, with sleep disturbances (63.79%), anxiety (48.79%), and low mood (44.63%) being the most common symptoms.
- To mitigate these mental health effects, the paper suggests that Polish health decision-makers should create comprehensive, multi-level psychological support services.
Understanding whether SARS-CoV-2 could infect cells and tissues handled during ART is crucial for risk mitigation, especially during the implantation window when either endometrial biopsies are often practiced for endometrial receptivity assessment or embryo transfer is performed. To address this question, this review analyzed current knowledge of the field and retrospectively examined the gene expression profiles of SARS-CoV-2-associated receptors and proteases in a cohort of ART candidates using our previous Affymetrix microarray data. Human endometrial tissue under natural and controlled ovarian stimulation cycles and preimplantation embryos were analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * The results showed that the biphasic strategy led to significantly higher rates of total and usable blastocysts and an increased live birth rate.
- * Additionally, gene analysis indicated that the oxygen concentration influenced the expression of genes related to embryo development and implantation, suggesting a biological basis for the improved outcomes with the biphasic method.
[Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on fertility, gametes' quality and Assisted Reproduction Technology].
Gynecol Obstet Fertil Senol
February 2022
Article Synopsis
- The pandemic has led to ART centers temporarily halting activities in March 2020, prompting a reevaluation of how COVID-19 impacts reproduction.
- Research continues to explore how the virus affects gametes, fertility, and pregnancy, with mixed findings regarding female gametes and potential neonatal health threats.
- While men may face more severe symptoms and potential impacts on sperm production, the overall effects of COVID-19 on ART practices require further investigation.
Article Synopsis
- Human ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) is a method used to preserve female fertility for prepubertal girls and women facing treatments that could lead to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), but there's a lack of standard protocols.
- * The manuscript presents a protocol that not only involves freezing ovarian tissue but also the cryopreservation of both mature and immature oocytes, enhancing the chances of successful fertility preservation.
- * It emphasizes the importance of proper handling and storage during the process and recommends this combined approach to maximize reproductive potential and improve safety outcomes for patients at risk of POI.
Article Synopsis
- A study evaluated the effect of obesity on live birth rates (LBR) in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) at a single center using data from 1588 participants.
- The findings indicated no significant differences in LBR based on body mass index (BMI) categories across multiple IVF cycles.
- Overall, the study concluded that obesity status and its severity did not significantly affect the cumulative LBR after IVF treatments.
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluated the effectiveness of customized embryo transfers (cET) based on a transcriptomic approach (Win-Test) for patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF), involving 217 participants.
- The Win-Test assessed the expression of 11 endometrial genes to determine the optimal receptivity window for embryo transfer, revealing that a significant majority (80%) of patients had receptivity timing that differed from the classical protocol.
- Results showed that pregnancy and live birth rates were significantly higher in the cET group (22.7% and 31.8%) compared to the control group (7.2% and 8.3%), suggesting cET based on Win-Test findings could enhance outcomes for patients with RIF.
Article Synopsis
- A balanced interaction between pro- and anti-inflammatory factors is crucial for female reproductive health, with chronic low-grade inflammation affecting conditions related to infertility and embryo implantation.
- This systematic review aimed to analyze how pre-implantation levels of the inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) relate to pregnancy success rates in women receiving assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and to track changes in CRP levels post-implantation.
- The review incorporated 10 studies, finding that lower CRP levels before implantation often correlate with successful ART outcomes, while higher levels are observed during the implantation phase.
Article Synopsis
- - The study compares closed vitrification systems (without direct liquid nitrogen contact) with open systems and aims to report on their effectiveness in egg donation programs.
- - It finds that the number of vitrified oocytes is the main predictor of both survival rates and clinical pregnancy, with a 15% increase in survival odds for each additional oocyte.
- - The outcomes align with established standards, supporting the routine use of closed vitrification systems, but further research with larger sample sizes is needed for broader application.
Article Synopsis
- Birth weight (BW) is generally higher for babies conceived through frozen embryo transfer (FET) compared to fresh embryo transfer, and the study aims to investigate whether the freezing-thawing process contributes to this difference.
- The study analyzed two groups: one with older siblings conceived via fresh embryos and younger siblings via frozen embryos, and another with siblings both conceived through FET from the same embryo cohort.
- Results showed that the average BW for FET babies was significantly higher than for fresh, suggesting that cryopreservation plays a critical role in BW variation, independent of sibling parity.
Article Synopsis
- Male infertility is a significant issue for couples globally, but the reasons behind unexplained cases (idiopathic) are still not well understood.
- Recent research indicates that circulating cell-free nucleic acids might be involved in male infertility and could provide insights into its causes.
- The review highlights the potential of these nucleic acids as biomarkers for diagnosing male infertility in clinical settings, paving the way for better understanding and treatment options.
Article Synopsis
- Several studies indicate a decline in sperm quality over the decades, prompting a study to evaluate how male factors such as sperm quality and paternal age affect IVF and ICSI outcomes.
- The study included data from IVF and ICSI treatments at Montpellier University Hospital from 2010 to 2015, analyzing primary outcomes like blastulation and pregnancy rates, alongside secondary outcomes like fertilization and early miscarriage rates.
- Results showed that severe oligospermia negatively impacted fertilization and blastulation rates, particularly in ICSI, and that paternal age over 51, coupled with maternal age over 37, also reduced pregnancy success rates, suggesting revised fertilization strategies for older couples or those with low sperm quality.
Article Synopsis
- * Using microarrays and RT-qPCR, the research analyzes CCs from women in three different age groups, revealing significant changes in gene expression associated with age.
- * Notably, older patients show increased expression of angiogenic genes and decreased expression of TGF-β signaling genes, with insights into the role of specific microRNAs in regulating these age-related changes.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines how an early increase in serum progesterone levels on the day of hCG administration affects endometrial gene expression in patients undergoing IVF.
- It was found that patients with elevated progesterone (>1.5 ng/mL) displayed a different gene expression shift from the prereceptive to the receptive stage of the endometrium, indicating faster endometrial maturation.
- Despite these changes in gene expression, the overall endometrial receptivity remained similar between patients with normal and elevated progesterone levels.
Article Synopsis
- Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (IHES) causes long-term high eosinophil levels, leading to organ damage, particularly the heart, affecting around 60% of patients and increasing mortality risk.
- A case study involves a 33-year-old male who presented with severe respiratory symptoms and abnormal heart tests, ultimately diagnosed with heart issues linked to IHES.
- The patient received early corticosteroid treatment, which normalized his eosinophil count and resulted in moderate cardiac improvement, and he is currently stable on prednisone.