Recurrent implantation failure and inflammatory markers in serum and follicle fluid of women undergoing assisted reproduction.

It has been shown previously that the immune system plays a role in implantation and embryo development. The objective was therefore to evaluate cytokine levels and Th1/Th2 ratio in women with recurrent implantation failure in this nested case-control study. Women with no implantation after ≥ 3 embryo transfers were included in the recurrent implantation failure group (n = 29) and were compared with women with successful pregnancy after the first embryo transfer, with an indication of male factor (n = 26).

Quality of life among female childhood cancer survivors with and without premature ovarian insufficiency.

Purpose: Due to an increase in survival, a growing population of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) is present. However, female CCS are at risk of developing premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) after cancer treatment. POI involves a decreased chance of conceiving and the increased infertility state has a large impact on affected individuals' health and mental life.

The N680S variant in the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor gene identifies hyperresponders to controlled ovarian stimulation.

Objective: To study if the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) variant asparagine/serine in amino acid 680 (N680S) can predict hypersensitivity to gonadotropins in women undergoing assisted reproduction.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective study, 586 women undergoing their first in-vitro fertilisation treatment were enroled, and their FSHR N680S genetic variant was analysed. The main outcome measures were number of retrieved oocytes and any grade of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

Sulforaphane reduces hepatic glucose production and improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes.

A potentially useful approach for drug discovery is to connect gene expression profiles of disease-affected tissues ("disease signatures") to drug signatures, but it remains to be shown whether it can be used to identify clinically relevant treatment options. We analyzed coexpression networks and genetic data to identify a disease signature for type 2 diabetes in liver tissue. By interrogating a library of 3800 drug signatures, we identified sulforaphane as a compound that may reverse the disease signature.

Thrombin stimulates insulin secretion via protease-activated receptor-3.

The disease mechanisms underlying type 2 diabetes (T2D) remain poorly defined. Here we aimed to explore the pathophysiology of T2D by analyzing gene co-expression networks in human islets. Using partial correlation networks we identified a group of co-expressed genes ('module') including F2RL2 that was associated with glycated hemoglobin.

Persistent organic pollutants have dose and CAG repeat length dependent effects on androgen receptor activity in vitro.

Recently, the effect of exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on sperm concentration was only seen in men with a short androgen receptor (AR) gene CAG repeat. In order to investigate whether these effects could be observed also in vitro, we tested the impact of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-bis-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethene (4,4'-DDE) on 5α-dihydrotestosterone activated ARs containing 16, 22 and 28 CAG repeats, respectively. Single exposure to 4,4'-DDE had the most pronounced effect on the AR activity containing 16 CAG repeats, whereas 28 CAG was the most sensitive variant when a mixture of the two compounds was added.

Molecular basis for resistance of herpes simplex virus type 1 mutants to the sulfated oligosaccharide inhibitor PI-88.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 variants selected by virus propagation in cultured cells in the presence of the sulfated oligosaccharide PI-88 were analyzed. Many of these variants were substantially resistant to the presence of PI-88 during their initial infection of cells and/or their cell-to-cell spread. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the deletion of amino acids 33-116 of gC but not lack of gC expression provided the virus with selective advantage to infect cells in the presence of PI-88.