The influence of anaesthetic techniques and type of delivery on peripartum serum interleukin-6 concentrations.

Background: Interleukin-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine with a wide range of physiological activities. It plays an important role in the immuno-neuro-humoral axis during stress and surgery.

Methods: Serum interleukin-6 in parturients was measured on hospital admission, immediately after birth and 12 and 24 hours later.

Intrauterine insemination after ovarian stimulation with clomiphene citrate: predictive potential of inseminating motile count and sperm morphology.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of the inseminating motile count (IMC) and sperm morphology (using strict criteria) on success rates after homologous intrauterine insemination (IUI) combined with clomiphene citrate (CC) stimulation. A total of 373 couples underwent 792 IUI cycles in a predominantly (87.4%) male subfertility group.

Treatment of male infertility due to sperm surface antibodies: IUI or IVF?

This prospectively designed study was aimed at comparing the results of two different treatment protocols in 29 infertile couples with proven male immunological infertility, i.e. a positive (>50%) mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) test (IgG and/or IgA).

Semen parameters in a fertile versus subfertile population: a need for change in the interpretation of semen testing.

This prospectively designed study was conducted to compare a fertile and a subfertile population so as to define normal values for different semen parameters. Semen analyses were performed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, except for sperm morphology (strict criteria). In the fertile population (n = 144), all patients had recently achieved pregnancy, within 12 months of unprotected coitus.

Chronobiological fluctuations in semen parameters with a constant abstinence period.

This study examined the seasonal variation in three semen parameters (total sperm count, % grade a progressive motility and sperm morphology according to strict criteria) with an identical abstinence period of 24 h. A total of 340 spermiograms of 107 different men enrolled in an intrauterine insemination (IUI) program were examined. To reduce variation due to interindividual disparities in semen quality, differences of each test result from the mean value obtained for that individual were analyzed.