Live birth rate per transfer is not impacted by the proportion of smooth endoplasmatic reticulum aggregates oocytes.

Background: Despite the data published to date, prognostic factors and the clinical impact of ICSI cycles with smooth endoplasmatic reticulum aggregates (SERa) positive oocytes remain unclear.

Objective: Are the clinical outcomes of an ICSI cycle impacted by the proportion of oocytes with SERa?

Materials And Methods: Retrospective study (2016-2019), including data from 2468 ovum pick-ups, performed in a tertiary university hospital. Cases are categorised based on the rate of SERa positive oocytes compared to the total number of MII oocytes: 0% (n=2097), <30% (n=262) and ≥30% (n=109).

Assisted oocyte activation does not overcome recurrent embryo developmental problems.

Study Question: Can recurrent embryo developmental problems after ICSI be overcome by assisted oocyte activation (AOA)?

Summary Answer: AOA did not improve blastocyst formation in our patient cohort with recurrent embryo developmental problems after ICSI.

What Is Known Already: The use of AOA to artificially induce calcium (Ca2+) rises by using Ca2+ ionophores (mainly calcimycin and ionomycin) has been reported as very effective in overcoming fertilization failure after ICSI, especially in patients whose Ca2+ dynamics during fertilization are deficient. However, there is only scarce and contradictory literature on the use of AOA to overcome embryo developmental problems after ICSI, and it is not clear whether abnormal Ca2+ patterns during fertilization disturb human preimplantation embryo development.

No difference in cumulative live birth rates between cleavage versus blastocyst transfer in patients with four or fewer zygotes: results from a retrospective study.

Study Question: Is the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) per oocyte collection cycle (OCC) comparable after cleavage-stage or blastocyst-stage transfer in combination with supernumerary blastocyst vitrification on Day 5 (D5) in patients with four or fewer zygotes on Day 1?

Summary Answer: The CLBR in a fresh blastocyst-transfer or cleavage-stage transfer policy followed by vitrification on D5 is comparable in patients with four or fewer zygotes.

What Is Known Already: Blastocyst transfer enhances the self-selection of the embryo and shortens the time to pregnancy in patients with normal or high ovarian response. Whether these advantages are also present in patients with a low ovarian response and/or a limited number of available zygotes is a continuous debate.

Machine learning for prediction of euploidy in human embryos: in search of the best-performing model and predictive features.

Objective: To assess the best-performing machine learning (ML) model and features to predict euploidy in human embryos.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Department for reproductive medicine in a university hospital.

Low feasibility of in vitro matured oocytes originating from cumulus complexes found during ovarian tissue preparation at the moment of gender confirmation surgery and during testosterone treatment for fertility preservation in transgender men.

Objective: To study the feasibility of in vitro maturation of ovarian tissue oocytes for fertility preservation in transgender men on testosterone treatment.

Design: Cross-sectional study SETTING: University hospital PATIENT(S): Eighty-three transgender men enrolled from November 2015 to January 2019 INTERVENTION(S): In vitro maturation of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) harvested at the time of gender confirmation surgery, and fertilization through intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Main Outcome Measure(s): In vitro maturation, fertilization, and blastulation rates; comparison of morphokinetics with vitrified-warmed oocytes; and analysis of the genetic profiles of embryos.

A stepwise approach to move from a cleavage-stage to a blastocyst-stage transfer policy for all patients in the IVF clinic.

Study Question: Is a stepwise change management approach an efficacious method to move from a Day 3 transfer policy to a Day 5 transfer policy for all patients in an IVF program?

Summary Answer: A stepwise change from a Day 3 to a Day 5 transfer policy maintained the live birth rates per oocyte collection cycle (OCC) of the IVF program, with increased single embryo transfer (SET) and reduction of twin pregnancies.

What Is Known Already: Evidence has shown that the probability of a live birth following IVF with a fresh embryo transfer (ET) is significantly higher after blastocyst-stage transfer than after cleavage-stage transfer. Blastocyst culture and transfer are usually performed in cases of good prognosis patients but many centers keep transferring cleavage-stage embryos for most of their patients because of the higher transfer cancelation rate in a blastocyst transfer policy.

Blastocyst transfer for all? Higher cumulative live birth chance in a blastocyst-stage transfer policy compared to a cleavage-stage transfer policy.

Background: In an unselected patient population, what is the cumulative live birth rate per oocyte collection cycle in a blastocyst-stage transfer policy compared to a cleavage-stage transfer policy?

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of 1656 IVF and ICSI cycles was performed in two timeframes between January 2010 and December 2016. Transfer was scheduled, either on day 3 (n=729) or on day 5 (n=927). In this study, the main outcome measure was cumulative live birth rate per oocyte collection cycle including fresh and frozen embryo transfers in both groups.

Assisted oocyte activation significantly increases fertilization and pregnancy outcome in patients with low and total failed fertilization after intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a 17-year retrospective study.

Objective: To investigate the extent to which assisted oocyte activation (AOA) improves clinical outcomes in patients diagnosed with oocyte activation deficiencies (OADs).

Design: Retrospective cohort study comparing AOA cycles and previous intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles in couples experiencing low or total failed fertilization after ICSI. Importantly, the sperm-related oocyte-activating capacity was examined in all patients before AOA with the use of the mouse oocyte activation test (MOAT).

Sperm Chromatin Dispersion Test before Sperm Preparation Is Predictive of Clinical Pregnancy in Cases of Unexplained Infertility Treated with Intrauterine Insemination and Induction with Clomiphene Citrate.

Background/aims: A large proportion of men with normal sperm results as analyzed using conventional techniques have fragmented DNA in their spermatozoa. We performed a prospective study to examine the incidence of DNA fragmentation in sperm in cases of couples with previously unexplained infertility and treated with intrauterine insemination. We evaluated whether there was any predictive value of DNA fragmentation for pregnancy outcome in such couples.

Seasons in the sun: the impact on IVF results one month later.

Background: Several retrospective studies have evaluated seasonal variations in the outcome of IVF treatment. Some also included weather conditions, mostly temperature and hours of daylight. The results were conflicting.

Oocyte cryopreservation and in vitro culture affect calcium signalling during human fertilization.

Study Question: What are the precise patterns of calcium oscillations during the fertilization of human oocytes matured either in vivo or in vitro or aged in vitro and what is the effect of cryopreservation?

Summary Answer: Human oocytes matured in vivo exhibit a specific pattern of calcium oscillations, which is affected by in vitro maturation, in vitro ageing and cryopreservation.

What Is Known Already: Oscillations in cytoplasmic calcium concentration are crucial for oocyte activation and further embryonic development. While several studies have described in detail the calcium oscillation pattern during fertilization in animal models, studies with human oocytes are scarce.

Slow controlled-rate freezing of human in vitro matured oocytes: effects on maturation rate and kinetics and parthenogenetic activation.

Objective: To create a pool of frozen donated human oocytes and find the optimal stage for slow controlled-rate freezing of human in vitro matured oocytes.

Design: Oocytes at different developmental stages of maturation (germinal vesicle, metaphase I, or metaphase II) and oocytes that failed to fertilize after IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were frozen using a slow controlled-rate freezing protocol. Frozen/thawed oocytes were artificially activated to verify activation potential and compared with oocytes that were not frozen.

Long term effects of micro-surgical testicular sperm extraction on androgen status in patients with non obstructive azoospermia.

Background: The aim of our study was to review the results of microsurgically performed testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and to evaluate its possible long term effects on serum testosterone (T).

Methods: We operated on 48 men (35 +/- 8 years) with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). If no spermatozoa were found following a micro epididymal sperm extraction (Silber et al.

Fertilization, pregnancy and embryo implantation rates after ICSI in cases of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia.

The aetiology of azoospermia can be grossly divided into obstructive and non-obstructive causes. Although in both cases testicular spermatozoa can be used to treat male fertility, it is not well established whether success rates following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are comparable. Therefore, a retrospective analysis of fertilization, pregnancy and embryo implantation rates was performed following ICSI with testicular spermatozoa in obstructive or non-obstructive azoospermia.

Fertilization, pregnancy and embryo implantation rates after ICSI with fresh or frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa.

This study aimed to determine whether fertilization and implantation rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fresh or frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa were comparable. Between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1996, 65 ICSI cycles with testicular spermatozoa and 35 cycles with frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa were carried out. In 50 out of 65 ICSI cycles, testicular spermatozoa could be retrieved and in 34 out of 35 cycles carried out with frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa, motile spermatozoa could be recovered.

Quality of frozen-thawed testicular sperm and its preclinical use for intracytoplasmic sperm injection into in vitro-matured germinal-vesicle stage oocytes.

Objective: To study the effects of cryopreservation on the quality of human testicular spermatozoa and the efficiency of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with frozen-thawed testicular sperm into metaphase II oocytes in vitro-matured from the germinal-vesicle stage oocyte.

Design: Preclinical freezing study on supernumarary testicular spermatozoa after ICSI.

Setting: Tertiary IVF center coupled with an institutional research environment.

Comparison of four mechanical methods to retrieve spermatozoa from testicular tissue.

To maximize the total number of spermatozoa which can be retrieved from a testicular biopsy, four mechanical methods for preparation were compared. In all, 17 biopsies were divided into four equal fractions, which were weighed individually and prepared by rough shredding (control), fine mincing, vortexing and crushing (electrical Potter). After resuspension in an erythrocyte-lysing buffer, removal of the remaining tissue pieces, washing and centrifugation, the following parameters were evaluated: number of spermatozoa per 100 mg tissue, percentage motility, percentage vitality and percentage normal morphology (strict Kruger criteria).