Infertility care in an underserved population: A retrospective chart review of a resident-run clinic at an urban, public hospital.

Despite major advances in infertility services, barriers to care as well as disparities in outcomes remain a significant problem. The cost of treatment, lack of or inadequate coverage, and location of infertility clinics are obvious contributors, however, advanced pathology, coexistent medical conditions, and lack of preconception care also contribute to delay in fertility particularly in underserved communities. Previous studies have discussed the role of trainee-run clinics in lower socioeconomic populations in providing low-cost infertility evaluation and management.

Acceptability and Feasibility of Initiating a Low Fat Eating Plan in Reproductive Aged Women with Obesity.

Adverse effects of obesity on reproduction are believed in part due to diet related factors leading to hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia. It is unknown whether administration of a low fat eating plan, regardless of weight loss, will improve reproductive axis function in women with obesity. To develop an acceptable and feasible low fat eating plan for a diverse group of reproductive aged women with obesity.

Clinical evaluation of the efficiency of an oocyte donation program using egg cryo-banking.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of oocyte donation cycles using egg "cryo-banking."

Design: Study conditions for vitrified/warmed oocytes for 20 non-autologous recipients (from 10 donors) were set prospectively, and outcomes of it were later compared retrospectively to nine fresh donations cycles.

Setting: Private assisted reproductive technology program.

Comparison of ICSI and conventional IVF in patients with increased oocyte immaturity.

Using sibling oocytes, the objective of this study was to compare the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertilization rates to those achieved with conventional IVF in patients with high rates of oocyte immaturity. This study was observational in nature, and included 91 patients who were treated using split insemination techniques. The fertilization rates for the ICSI group and the IVF group were 41.

Influence of the preimplantation embryo development (Ped) gene on embryonic platelet-activating factor (PAF) levels.

Purpose: A major gene responsible for the control of preimplantation cleavage rate is the Ped gene, the product of which is the Qa-2 protein. Fast, but not slow developing mouse embryos express the Qa-2 protein. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a novel and potent signaling phospholipid that has unique pleiotropic properties in addition to platelet activation.

Comparison of bovine- and recombinant human-derived hyaluronidase with regard to fertilization rates and embryo morphology in a sibling oocyte model: a prospective, blinded, randomized study.

The objective of the present study was to compare a traditionally used bovine-derived hyaluronidase (Hyase) with the newly developed recombinant human-derived enzyme product (Cumulase) in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures using a sibling oocyte model in a prospective randomized design. The results of the study demonstrate that Cumulase is safe and effective in an ICSI treatment program and can provide comparable if not improved parameters, including fertilization and embryo developmental rates.

Quantitative DNA perturbations of p53 in endometriosis: analysis of American and Icelandic cases.

Objective: To investigate quantitative aberrations involving p53 copy numbers in eutopic endometrial and endometriotic tissue from two populations.

Design: Comparative analysis of normal and diseased tissue.

Setting: Tissue specimens collected in Iceland and USA.

The significance of platelet-activating factor and fertility in the male primate: a review.

Since its discovery nearly 30 years ago platelet-activating factor (PAF) has emerged as one of the more important lipid mediators known. PAF (1-O-alkyl-2-O-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine) exists endogenously as a mixture of molecular species with structural variants of the alkyl moiety. PAF is a novel potent signaling phospholipid that has unique pleiotropic biological properties in addition to platelet activation.

Platelet-activating factor significantly enhances intrauterine insemination pregnancy rates in non-male factor infertility.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of treating semen specimens with platelet-activating factor (PAF) before IUI.

Design: Prospective randomized double-blinded study of PAF treatment of sperm for patients with a history of infertility undergoing IUI.

Setting: Private infertility center.

Fertilization potential of human sperm is correlated with endogenous platelet-activating factor content.

Purpose: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent signaling phospholipid that is found in mammalian sperm and has a positive correlation with fertility. Whereas PAF is present in human sperm, there are no relational reports on its content and the cells fertilization potential. Therefore, the study objective was to determine if PAF content in capacitated-induced sperm is related to fertilization potential as determined by the sperm penetration assay (SPA).