Early follicle development alters the relationship between antral follicle counts and inhibin B and follicle-stimulating hormone levels on cycle day 3.

Objective: To verify whether, during the luteal-follicular transition, increased inhibin B production by abnormally large follicles modifies the expected relationship between the number of follicles and peripheral inhibin B and FSH levels.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Teaching hospital, France.

Impact of early cleaved zygote morphology on embryo development and in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer outcome: a prospective study.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the first division morphology on embryo development and IVF-embryo transfer outcome.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Teaching hospital, France.

Optimising the semi natural cycle IVF: the importance of follicular flushing.

To evaluate the importance of follicular flushing on semi natural cycles IVF, we have compared prospectively the reproductive potential of oocytes obtained from follicular fluid (group A, n = 79) to those obtained from follicular flushing (group B, n = 47) in 146 oocyte pick-ups. The groups A and B were similar on the fertilisation rate (79.7% versus 88.

Five years' experience of preimplantation genetic diagnosis in the Parisian Center: outcome of the first 441 started cycles.

Objective: To investigate the evolution of techniques and strategies and to evaluate the results of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) from January 2000 to December 2004 in chromosomal, monogenic and mitochondrial DNA disorders treated at our institution.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Single French Parisian PGD center.

Anti-Müllerian hormone: clinical insights into a promising biomarker of ovarian follicular status.

In contrast to most hormonal biomarkers of the follicular status, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is exclusively produced by the granulosa cells of a wide range of follicles (primary to the early antral stages), presumably FSH-independently and with little susceptibility to disorders of antral follicle growth during the luteal-follicular transition. This paper summarizes the authors' clinical research on the role of AMH as a marker of ovarian functioning. It shows that the relationship between antral follicle counts and serum AMH concentrations is stronger than that observed with FSH, inhibin B and oestradiol on day 3, and that intercycle reproducibility of AMH measurements is better than the latter parameters.

[Preimplantation genetic diagnosis].

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) purpose is to assess the genetic status of 3 day-old embryos. Thus, PGD offers to couples "at-risk" of transmitting a genetic disorder an earlier option to prenatal diagnosis. The first successful PGD was reported in 1990 but in France, PGD has been authorized only since 2000.

[Prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis: decision tree, new practices?].

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) purpose is to assess the genetic status of 3 day-old embryos. PGD offers thus to couples "at-risk" of a genetic disorder an earlier option to prenatal diagnosis (PND). At the beginning, PGD's indications, patients and law were very closed to PND, but PGD specificities are gradually raising.

Frozen section examination of the endocervical margin of cervical conization specimens.

Objective: We conducted this retrospective study to determine accuracy of frozen section examination of endocervical margin during cold knife conization.

Methods: Between June 1993 and June 2001, 310 consecutive patients underwent cervical conization for squamous intraepithelial lesion or stage IA1 cervical cancer. Before 1997, the surgical specimens of 149 patients were processed following a standard pathological procedure (historical group).