Histological ovarian features and hormonal determinations in assigned females at birth transgender individuals according to different testosterone preparations.

Introduction: Distinct androgen formulations have been used as gender-affirming hormone treatment, but little is known about the specific changes that may occur in the ovary depending on the testosterone preparation used. The study aims to evaluate the histological modifications of the ovarian tissue and the hormonal changes after gender-affirming surgery based on the testosterone preparation employed, such as testosterone cypionate or undecanoate.

Design: Unicenter transversal cohort study.

Reversible effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on semen parameters.

Despite that the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been controlled, it has affected a large proportion of the population, raising some concerns about potential sequelae in men at reproductive age. To contribute to the clarification of this issue, we performed a retrospective study comparing semen parameters values before and after confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large cohort of infertile men, compared to a control group that did not undergo SARS-CoV-2 infection. Wilcoxon test on paired samples and general linear regression model showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection has a detrimental effect on semen volume values ( < 0.

Prevalence of the Gene Premutation in Young Women with a Diminished Ovarian Reserve Included in an IVF Program: Implications for Clinical Practice.

The relationship between premature ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI) and premutation in the gene is well established. In recent years, though, a potential relationship between the latter and a low ovarian reserve has been suggested. To explore it, we conducted a retrospective study in an IVF program at a university tertiary referral center in Barcelona (Spain).

Correlation of FMR4 expression levels to ovarian reserve markers in FMR1 premutation carriers.

Background: Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), characterized by amenorrhea before age 40 years, occurs in 20% of female FMR1 premutation carriers. Presently, there are no molecular or biomarkers that can help predicting which FMR1 premutation women will develop FXPOI. We previously demonstrated that high FMR4 levels can discriminate between FMR1 premutation carriers with and without FXPOI.

Impact of bariatric surgery on ovarian reserve markers and its correlation with nutritional parameters and adipokines.

Introduction: A reduction in anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) levels at short-term after bariatric surgery (BS) has been previously described. However, an assessment of ovarian reserve at longer-follow up, and a comprehensive evaluation of the potentially implicated factors has not been reported.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Antral follicle count measured at down-regulation as predictor of ovarian response and cumulative live birth: single center analysis including 2731 long agonist IVF cycles.

Objective: Evaluate antral follicle count measured after pituitary suppression (AFCaps) with a GnRH agonist as predictor of ovarian response and cumulative live birth (CLB).

Methods: This study is a large cohort analysis of retrospective data between January 2011 and September 2020 in a tertiary-care university hospital. All first initiated IVF/ICSI cycles in women under 43 years of age for whom AFCaps was registered in our database were included.

Maternal and fetal haemopexin and α-microglobulin concentrations in pre-eclamptic IVF pregnancies according to presence of corpus luteum at embryo transfer.

Research Question: Do pregnancies with corpus luteum show different maternal and fetal plasma concentrations of the scavenger proteins haemopexin and α-microglobulin compared with pregnancies without corpus luteum in preeclampsia?

Design: Case-control study of 160 singleton pregnancies: 54 naturally conceived, 50 by IVF after fresh embryo transfer or frozen embryo transfer (FET) in natural cycle (presence of corpus luteum) and 56 after fresh oocyte donation or FET in programmed cycles (absence of corpus luteum). Pregnancies were subclassified into normotensive, preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia cases. Heme-scavenger concentrations were measured by ELISA in maternal and cord plasma collected at delivery.

Evaluation of FMR4, FMR5 and FMR6 Expression Levels as Non-Invasive Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Fragile X-Associated Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (FXPOI).

Female (Fragile X mental retardation 1) premutation carriers are at risk for developing fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), a condition characterized by amenorrhea before age 40 years. Not all women with a premutation suffer from primary ovarian insufficiency and nowadays there are no molecular or other biomarkers that can help predict the occurrence of FXPOI. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) comprise a group of regulatory transcripts which have versatile molecular functions, making them important regulators in all aspects of gene expression.

Comparison between slow freezing and vitrification of ovarian tissue cryopreservation in assigned female at birth transgender people receiving testosterone therapy: data on histological and viability parameters.

Purpose: The use of fertility preservation (FP) techniques has significantly increased in recent years in the assigned female at birth (AFAB) transgender population. Oocyte cryopreservation is the established method for FP, but ovarian tissue cryopreservation may be considered an alternative option, especially during gender-affirming surgery (GAS). The slow freezing (SF) cryopreservation technique is the standard method for human ovarian tissue, but recently, several studies have shown good results with the vitrification (VT) technique.

Bariatric Surgery on Reproductive Outcomes: the Impact According to the Diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Surgical Procedures.

Background: There is limited evidence on the impact of bariatric surgery (BS) on reproductive outcomes in the general population and specifically in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or the effect of different BS techniques.

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the impact of BS on fertility, pregnancy, and newborn outcomes in reproductive age women who have undergone BS and the outcomes according to surgical procedure and PCOS diagnosis.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study performed in women from 18-39 years undergoing BS in our centre from January 2005 to December 2010.

Drug-free in-vitro activation of follicles and fresh tissue autotransplantation as a therapeutic option in patients with primary ovarian insufficiency.

Research Question: Could in-vitro action of follicles and fresh tissue autotransplantation without tissue culture (drug-free IVA) be useful in patients with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)?

Design: Prospective observational cohort study in a tertiary university hospital. Drug-Free IVA was carried out in 14 women with POI with a median age of 33 years (29-36 years), median length of amenorrhoea of 1.5 years (1-11 years), median FSH levels 69.

Frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer in natural cycle increase implantation rates compared artificial cycle.

To analyze global outcomes in frozen-thawed embryo transfer according to endometrial preparation with natural cycle and artificial cycle taking into account the developmental stage of the embryo. Retrospective cohort study, held in a tertiary-care university hospital with 1265 cycles for frozen-thawed embryo transfer of 860 patients, performed between January 2014 and December 2017. A total of 1097 embryo transfers were performed: 163 transfers in natural cycle (N), 531 in artificial cycle: transdermal estrogens and 403 with oral estrogens.

Comparison of GnRH agonist versus luteal estradiol GnRH antagonist protocol using transdermal testosterone in poor responders.

Objective: Transdermal testosterone has been used in different doses and in different stimulation protocols in poor responders. The aim of the present study is to compare the luteal estradiol/GnRH antagonists protocol versus long GnRH agonists in poor responder patients according to the Bologna criteria, in which transdermal testosterone has been used prior to the stimulation with gonadotropins.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, a total of 141 poor responder patients according to the Bologna criteria were recruited.

Age, independent from ovarian reserve status, is the main prognostic factor in natural cycle in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To analyze natural cycle IVF (NC-IVF) results according to patient age, ovarian reserve status following the Bologna criteria, cause of infertility, and modification of the cycle with the use of GnRH antagonist.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary-care university hospital.

Strategies to manage refractory endometrium: state of the art in 2016.

The endometrium is one of a number of factors involved in achieving optimal outcomes after assisted reproductive treatment. Owing to its "passive" growth following adequate ovarian stimulation, it has received virtually no attention. Only when either endometrial thickness or ultrasonographic pattern seem inadequate have different strategies been assessed to try to improve it, especially in those cases where it seems difficult or impossible to make it grow.

Differential effect of mode of conception and infertility treatment on fetal growth and prematurity.

Objectives To examine perinatal outcomes in pregnancies conceived by different methods: fertile women with spontaneous pregnancies, infertile women who achieved pregnancy without treatment, pregnancies achieved by ovulation induction (OI) and in vitro fertilization or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). Methods Retrospective single-center cohort study including 200 fertile and 748 infertile women stratified according to infertility treatment. The outcome measurements were preterm delivery (PTD), small-for-gestational-age (SGA), gestational diabetes, placenta previa or preeclampsia.

Selective elimination of mitochondrial mutations in the germline by genome editing.

Mitochondrial diseases include a group of maternally inherited genetic disorders caused by mutations in mtDNA. In most of these patients, mutated mtDNA coexists with wild-type mtDNA, a situation known as mtDNA heteroplasmy. Here, we report on a strategy toward preventing germline transmission of mitochondrial diseases by inducing mtDNA heteroplasmy shift through the selective elimination of mutated mtDNA.

Efficacy of luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone in intrauterine insemination: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of luteal phase support with vaginal progesterone in women undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing supplementation of luteal phase with vaginal progesterone among women undergoing IUI versus a control group were included.

Transdermal testosterone may improve ovarian response to gonadotrophins in low-responder IVF patients: a randomized, clinical trial.

Background: Studies in macaques have indicated that androgens have some synergistic effects with FSH on folliculogenesis. This study investigated the usefulness of pretreatment with transdermal testosterone in low-responder IVF patients.

Methods: Randomized clinical trial including 62 infertile women who had a background of the first IVF treatment cycle cancelled because of poor follicular response.

Combined laparoscopic surgery and pentoxifylline therapy for treatment of endometriosis-associated infertility: a preliminary trial.

Background: Surgical treatment has modest efficacy for the treatment of infertility associated with early-stage endometriosis. Immunomodulation with pentoxifylline is considered as a new strategy potentially useful in treating endometriosis. Thus, this study investigated the usefulness of combined laparoscopic surgery and pentoxifylline therapy in the treatment of infertility associated with minimal to mild endometriosis.

Vascular endothelial growth factor levels in serum and plasma from patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been investigated as a marker of ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and as a predictor of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in IVF cycles. In most studies, serum has been used for circulating VEGF concentration measurement, but it has been suggested that plasma is the preferred medium to measure VEGF levels because of the potential contribution of VEGF released from platelets during blood clotting. This study investigated VEGF concentrations in paired serum and plasma samples from patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF.

Effects of recombinant human luteinizing hormone supplementation on ovarian stimulation and the implantation rate in down-regulated women of advanced reproductive age.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of recombinant human luteinizing hormone (rhLH) supplementation on ovarian stimulation and implantation rate in down-regulated women of advanced reproductive age.

Design: Prospective randomized study.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Pretreatment with transdermal testosterone may improve ovarian response to gonadotrophins in poor-responder IVF patients with normal basal concentrations of FSH.

Background: Treatment of poor-responder patients to controlled ovarian stimulation for assisted reproduction, who have normal basal FSH concentrations, is one of the most difficult challenges in reproductive medicine. This study investigated the usefulness of testosterone pretreatment in such patients.

Methods: Prospective, therapeutic, self-controlled clinical trial including 25 consecutive infertile patients who had a background of the first and second IVF treatment cycle cancellations due to poor follicular response, in spite of vigorous gonadotrophin ovarian stimulation and having normal basal FSH levels.

Basal and stimulation day 5 anti-Mullerian hormone serum concentrations as predictors of ovarian response and pregnancy in assisted reproductive technology cycles stimulated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist--gonadotropin treatment.

Background: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has been recently proposed as a marker for ovarian ageing and poor ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in assisted reproduction cycles. The present study was undertaken to investigate the usefulness of baseline cycle day 3 AMH levels and AMH serum concentrations obtained on the fifth day of gonadotropin therapy in predicting ovarian response and pregnancy in women undergoing ovarian stimulation with FSH under pituitary desensitization for assisted reproduction.

Methods: A total of 80 women undergoing their first cycle of IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment were studied.