Pregnancy outcome after ICSI with thawed testicular sperm from men with non-obstructive azoospermia compared to ICSI with ejaculated sperm from men with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and IVF with normal ejaculated sperm.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical pregnancy outcomes, fetal complications and malformation rate of intracytoplasmic injection of thawed cryopreseverd sperm extracted by testicular aspiration from men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) compared with intracytoplasmic injection of fresh ejaculated sperm from men with severe oligoteratoasthenozoospermia (OTA) and standard in vitro fertilization using ejaculated sperm from normospermic men. The mean oocyte fertilization rate was significantly lowest for ICSI with testicular aspirated sperm (NOA group). However, there was no significant difference among the three groups in pregnancy outcomes, namely rates of spontaneous abortion, biochemical pregnancy, extrauterine pregnancy, singleton multifetal pregnancy, preterm delivery before 36 weeks' gestation, maternal complications, transfer to the neonatal intensive care unit, intrauterine growth restriction or fetal malformations.

Does the presence of nuclear vacuoles in human sperm selected for ICSI affect pregnancy outcome?

Background: To verify whether or not microinjection of sperm with a normal nuclear shape but large vacuoles affects IVF-ICSI pregnancy outcome.

Methods: A comparative study testing IVF outcome parameters of IVF-ICSI, based on morphological selection of spermatozoa with normal nuclei against those based on microinjection of sperm with a normal nuclear shape but large vacuoles. An experimental group, including 28 IVF-ICSI cycles, where only embryos obtained from microinjection of spermatozoa with a normal nuclear shape but large vacuoles were transferred, was matched with a control group, including 28 IVF-ICSI cycles, where only embryos obtained from microinjection of spermatozoa with a strictly defined morphologically normal nuclear shape and content were transferred.

Expression of basic fibroblast growth factor and its receptors in human ovarian follicles from adults and fetuses.

Objective: To investigate the immunocytochemical expression and presence of mRNA transcripts for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its four receptors (FGFR-1, -2, -3, and -4) in ovaries from human adults and fetuses.

Design: Immunocytochemical and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) study.

Setting: Major tertiary care and referral academic centers.

[Complications of surgery for stress incontinence in women].

For some women with stress incontinence, surgery is the only effective treatment. More than 100 different operations are reported to cure stress incontinence. The reason for this variety is the fact that none of the operations is entirely satisfactory.

Induction of labor in pregnancies with suspected large-for-gestational-age fetuses and unfavorable cervix.

Objectives: To evaluate our single-center, single-team experience with induction of labor in pregnancies with suspected large for gestational age (LGA) fetuses.

Study Design: A retrospective case-controlled design was used. Non-diabetic patients with a suspected LGA fetus (estimated fetal weight > or =90th percentile) (group 1, n = 135) were compared with healthy patients admitted for elective induction of labor for either post-date pregnancy or a subjective perception of decreased fetal movements in the presence of normal fetal heart monitoring and biophysical profile (group 2, n = 326), and with healthy women with normal pregnancies and spontaneous onset of labor (group 3, n = 574).

Survival of frozen-thawed human ovarian fetal follicles in long-term organ culture.

Ovarian follicles obtained from second and third-trimester human fetuses survived 4 weeks in organ culture and secreted 17-beta estradiol (E(2)).

Interleukin-2 production in whole blood cell cultures of women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for assisted reproduction technology cycles.

Problem: To determine whether human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) modulates the in vitro release of interleukin (IL-2) from human peripheral lymphocytes and monocytes derived from patients undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH).

Method Of Study: A large university-based IVF unit was used for the study. Blood was drawn thrice from 12 women undergoing our routine IVF long gonadotropin-releasing-hormone-analog protocol during the COH cycle: (1) day on which adequate suppression was obtained (Day-S); (2) day of or prior to hCG administration (Day-hCG); and (3) day of ovum pick-up (Day-OPU).

Adolescent varicocele: is it a unilateral disease?

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of left and right varicocele in adolescents.

Methods: The study group consisted of 28 adolescents who underwent evaluation for varicocele at our clinic. In 19 patients, varicocele was detected on routine physical examination, and 9 patients presented with scrotal pain or discomfort.

Parameters affecting successful transplantation of frozen-thawed human fetal ovaries into immunodeficient mice.

Objective: To compare the development and survival of human fetal follicles frozen-thawed with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and propandiol (PROH) in immunodeficient mice, to study the effects of host treatment with FSH, and to compare kidney and subcutaneous transplantation.

Design: Controlled histologic study.

Setting: Major tertiary care and referral academic center.

Severe ovarian dysgenesis and enlarged dysplastic kidneys in two siblings with normal karyotypes.

Objective: To report a rare case of two normally karyotyped 46,XX siblings with severe ovarian dysgenesis and enlarged dysplastic kidneys.

Design: Case report. Rabin Medical Center, a major tertiary university-affiliated care and referral facility.

Possible direct cytoxicity effects of cyclophosphamide on cultured human follicles: an electron microscopy study.

Purpose: To evaluate the direct effect of cyclophosphamide on cultured human ovarian follicles.

Methods: Human ovarian cortical slices from premenopausal women were incubated with medium containing cyclophosphamide (0.0005-0.