Assessing the impact of delayed blastulation using time lapse morphokinetics and preimplantation genetic testing in an IVF patient population.

Purpose: There is clinical evidence that early cleavage timing parameters predictive of blastocyst development also correlate with embryo implantation potential. The aim of this study is to determine the developmental competency of embryos with delayed blastulation.

Methods: Retrospective study performed from 2015 to 2016 at the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Northwestern University.

Ureteral Trauma During Transvaginal Ultrasound-Guided Oocyte Retrieval: A Case Report.

Background: Transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval is a safe and well-tolerated procedure. Complications are uncommon and usually limited to vaginal bleeding and pelvic infection. Ureteral injury following oocyte retrieval is exceedingly rare, with only 8 previously reported cases.

Can Doppler ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval improve IVF safety?

Transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval has gained universal acceptance with an excellent safety record overall. However, even with contemporary ultrasound resolution, the aspiration needle can injure adjacent pelvic organs and blood vessels and result in external and internal bleeding. Although the idea that Doppler ultrasound might reduce the risk of blood vessel injury during follicular aspiration seems to be plausable, measurement of peritoneal blood loss and the validity of this opinion has never been appropriately tested.

Randomized controlled trial: effects of acupuncture on pregnancy rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of "true" versus "sham" acupuncture on pregnancy rates (PRs) in women undergoing IVF.

Design: Randomized controlled trial, double-blinded with independent observer.

Setting: Academic infertility clinic.

Steroidogenic factor-1 and endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common and chronic disease characterized by persistent pelvic pain and infertility. Estradiol is essential for growth and inflammation in endometriotic tissue. The complete cascade of steroidogenic proteins/enzymes including aromatase is present in endometriosis leading to de novo estradiol synthesis.

Promoter methylation regulates estrogen receptor 2 in human endometrium and endometriosis.

Steroid receptors in the stromal cells of endometrium and its disease counterpart tissue endometriosis play critical physiologic roles. We found that mRNA and protein levels of estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) were strikingly higher, whereas levels of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), total progesterone receptor (PGR), and progesterone receptor B (PGR B) were significantly lower in endometriotic versus endometrial stromal cells. Because ESR2 displayed the most striking levels of differential expression between endometriotic and endometrial cells, and the mechanisms for this difference are unknown, we tested the hypothesis that alteration in DNA methylation is a mechanism responsible for severely increased ESR2 mRNA levels in endometriotic cells.

Transcriptional activation of steroidogenic factor-1 by hypomethylation of the 5' CpG island in endometriosis.

Context: Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), a transcriptional factor essential for activation of multiple steroidogenic genes for estrogen biosynthesis, is undetectable in normal endometrial stromal cells and aberrantly expressed in endometriotic stromal cells.

Objective: The objective of the study was to unravel the mechanism for differential SF-1 expression in endometrial and endometriotic stromal cells.

Air bubble migration is a random event post embryo transfer.

Introduction: Air bubble location following embryo transfer (ET) is the presumable placement spot of embryos. The purpose of this study was to document endometrial air bubble position and migration following embryo transfer.

Design: Multicenter prospective case study.

Abnormal uterine bleeding, a new terminology is needed.

The current terminology describing abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is not universally agreed upon. A new AUB terminology must be uniform, unambiguous, and symptom focused. A prototype letters and numbers formula covering the entire spectrum of AUB is proposed that may contain sequences such as B1D2F1A2P1 (i.

Studies of gene expression in human cumulus cells indicate pentraxin 3 as a possible marker for oocyte quality.

Objective: To search for differentially expressed genes in cumulus cells from two groups of oocytes with different developmental outcome in vitro.

Design: Analyses of gene expression in human cumulus cells from oocytes that failed to fertilize in vitro (group A) and those that developed into normal-appearing embryos on day 3 (group B).

Setting: University-based facilities for clinical service and research.

Increased endometrial thickness is associated with improved treatment outcome for selected patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Objective: To examine possible relationships between endometrial thickness and treatment outcome after IVF and embryo transfer, and to explore the role of potential confounding factors that may influence such relationships.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: A university-affiliated clinical IVF center.

Electrodessication of a cervical heterotopic pregnancy.

A cervical heterotopic assisted reproductive technology (ART) pregnancy was diagnosed sonographically. The cervical pregnancy was electrodesiccated with a Kleppinger device. The intrauterine pregnancy was carried to term.

GnRHa flare and IVF pregnancy rates.

Objectives: GnRH agonist administered early in the menstrual cycle (flare) causes an endogenous discharge of FSH and LH. Flare has been used in conjunction with gonadotropin ovarian stimulation for IVF 'poor responders'. There is an ongoing controversy regarding whether flare protocols improve pregnancy rates in 'poor responders'.

Delay of embryo transfer to day 5 results in decreased initial serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels.

Objective: To investigate the impact of delaying the transfer of in vitro fertilized embryos to day 5 on embryo development by comparing serum beta-hCG levels in pregnancies established after day 3 embryo transfers and those after day 5 blastocyst transfers at equivalent time intervals after fertilization.

Design: A retrospective analysis.

Setting: Assisted reproductive technology center in an academic research environment.

Relationship between peak serum estradiol levels and treatment outcome in in vitro fertilization cycles after embryo transfer on day 3 or day 5.

Objective: To examine the relationships between peak serum estradiol (E(2)) levels and treatment outcome in in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles after embryo transfer (ET) on day 3 or day 5.

Design: Retrospective analysis of 697 IVF-ET cycles between January 1999 and December 2001.

Setting: A university-affiliated assisted reproduction program.

Investigation of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes using three-dimensional saline sonohysterosalpingography.

Objective: To compare three-dimensional saline sonohysterosalpingography (SHSG) to X-ray hysterosalpingography (HSG) for the evaluation of the uterine cavity and fallopian tubes.

Patient Population: Fifteen infertile women on whom X-ray HSG had been performed within 1 year prior to this study.

Method: Fifteen infertile women underwent three-dimensional power Doppler examination of the uterus and fallopian tubes with three-dimensional SHSG during the follicular phase.

Recurrent triploidy of maternal origin.

We report the occurrence of triploid preimplantation embryos following in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in a woman with two previously-identified triploid conceptuses which spontaneously underwent fetal demise at 10 and 23 weeks' gestation. An error in maternal meiosis II is proposed as the most likely cause.

Diagnostic and operative microlaparoscopy: a preliminary multicentre report.

Microlaparoscopes have been evaluated for minimally invasive laparoscopy using minimal anaesthesia or analgesia since our preliminary report on microlaparoscopy in 1993. This international multicentre report of safety and efficacy of diagnostic and operative microlaparoscopy was completed to evaluate the role of microlaparoscopy in a wide spectrum of gynaecological indications, diagnoses of pelvic and tubal disease, tubal occlusion and assisted reproduction. A total of 408 patients from seven centres around the world were included in this report.

The effect of the oviduct, uterine, and in vitro environments on zona thinning in the mouse embryo.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the oviduct, uterine, and in vitro environments on zona pellucida thinning in the mouse embryo.

Design: Female mice were stimulated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin and mated and hCG injection. Unilateral oviduct ligation was performed on day 2 of gestation using the dorsal approach.

Glass wool column filtration versus mini-Percoll gradient for processing poor quality semen samples.

Objective: To compare the quality and number of spermatozoa recovered from laboratory-induced severe oligozoospermic specimens processed by mini-Percoll gradient and glass wool column filtration.

Design: Both sperm-processing procedures were compared in similar sperm samples adjusted to contain equal low numbers of motile spermatozoa using either dilution (oligozoospermia) or with the addition of killed sperm (oligoasthenozoospermia). The spermatozoa processed by both procedures samples were evaluated for motility, response to hypo-osmotic swelling test, and the hemizona assay.