Oral dydrogesterone along with vaginal micronized progesterone supplementation for luteal phase support in IVF patients, and its impact on pregnancy and live birth rates: a prospective randomized trial.

Background: A normal luteal function is an essential factor for maintaining pregnancy; luteal phase deficiency decreases embryo implantation and pregnancy rate and increases the early miscarriage rate. In stimulated in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) patients, luteal phase support (LPS) is achieved by the exogenous supplementation with progesterone to increase endometrial receptivity and pregnancy. While several protocols exist, no commonly accepted protocol has been established for optimal luteal support after IVF-ET to date, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two different luteal phase support protocols in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technologies.

Effectiveness of corifollitropin alfa used for ovarian stimulation of poor responder patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficiency and efficacy of corifollitropin alfa (follicle-stimulating hormone-carboxy terminal peptide) in the treatment of poor responder patients.

Methods: A total of 85 poor responder patients with a mean age 40.2±3.

Profile of follitropin alpha/lutropin alpha combination for the stimulation of follicular development in women with severe luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone deficiency.

A severe gonadotropin deficiency together with chronic estradiol deficiency leading to amenorrhea characterizes patients suffering from hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Administration of both follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) to these patients has been shown to be essential in achieving successful stimulation of follicular development, ovulation, and rescue of fertility. In recent years, the availability of both recombinant FSH (rFSH) and recombinant LH (rLH) has provided a new therapeutic option for the stimulation of follicular growth in hypopituitary-hypogonadotropic women (World Health Organization Group I).

Ovarian Stimulation Protocol in IVF: An Up-to-Date Review of the Literature.

The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) was born in order to help couples with infertility issues in having a baby. The first treatments of IVF used the spontaneous cycle of the women, with the retrieval of only one oocyte. Further studies have shown that it is possible to induce ovulation by administrating gonadotropins during the menstrual cycle, in order to obtain a higher number of oocytes.

Ultrasound guidance of embryo transfer: a role for midwife.

Objective: Evaluate the role of midwife with no experience in assisting ultrasound guided embryo transfer.

Methods: A prospective randomized study comparing results of IVF after ultrasound guided embryo transfer (ET) assisted either by a midwife with no formal training in US, or by a doctor trained to guide. ET procedure was performed on 553 patients undergoing ultrasound guided ET.

Pregnancies and deliveries after injection of vitrified-warmed oocytes with cryopreserved testicular sperm.

The purpose of this study is to report successful pregnancies and deliveries from embryos derived from vitrified-warmed oocytes injected with frozen-thawed testicular sperm. After the vitrification-warming procedure, surviving oocytes from 11 patients were microinjected with thawed testicular spermatozoa, and subsequent viable cleaving embryos were transferred, resulting in four clinical pregnancies.

Urinary hMG (Meropur) versus recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH (Pergoveris) in IVF: a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial.

To compare IVF outcome in ovarian stimulation protocols with recombinant FSH plus recombinant LH versus hMG, 122 patients were randomized into two study groups: group A, patients treated with urinary hMG, and group B, patients treated with rFSH plus rLH. The two groups proved to be comparable to the main IVF outcome (pregnancy rate, implantation rate, oocytes, and embryos quality), with an increasing risk of ovarian hyperstimulation in the Pergoveris group.

Ovarian stimulation protocols based on follicle-stimulating hormone glycosylation pattern: impact on oocyte quality and clinical outcome.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) with different glycosylation patterns on oocyte quality and clinical outcomes in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment program.

Design: Prospective randomized, open-label, clinical study.

Setting: Assisted reproduction center.

Vitrification is a highly efficient method to cryopreserve human embryos in in vitro fertilization patients at high risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of embryo vitrification as an emergency procedure for patients at high risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). A total of 69 embryos, derived from 24 patients for whom embryo transfer could not be performed because of the risk of developing OHSS, were vitrified and warmed for deferred embryo transfer. Surviving embryos were transferred, resulting in 10 clinical pregnancies, of which 4 were successfully delivered and the remaining 6 are still ongoing.

Efficacy of a combined protocol of urinary and recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone used for ovarian stimulation of patients undergoing ICSI cycle.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of using both urinary and recombinant FSH in a combined protocol for ovarian stimulation in an IVF treatment program.

Method: A total of 119 infertile couples undergoing ICSI treatment were randomized prospectively in this study. After a standard down-regulation with GnRH analogue, the patients were randomized in 2 groups 58 received combined urinary and recombinant FSH, starting with uFSH and then rFSH, and 61 controls received only recombinant FSH.

Examination of bacterial contamination at the time of embryo transfer, and its impact on the IVF/pregnancy outcome.

Purpose: This study was designed to examine the effect of bacterial contamination on in vitro fertilization treatment outcomes.

Method: In a prospective clinical trial, 152 patients aged 23-38 years, mean 33.3 +/- 4.

Impact of physician performing embryo transfer on pregnancy rates in an assisted reproductive program.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the individual physician performing embryo transfer, on clinical pregnancy rates.

Method: Data from a total of 485 consecutive embryo transfers performed on 485 women aged 23-37 years were prospectively collected for this study. All patients underwent a standard downregulation long protocol for ovarian stimulation.

Ongoing pregnancies after vitrification of human oocytes using a combined solution of ethylene glycol and dimethyl sulfoxide.

Objective: To evaluate a vitrification solution using a mixture of two cryprotectant agents, dimethyl sulfoxide and ethylyne glycol plus sucrose, on the survival of human oocytes.

Design: Clinical study of cryopreservation of human metaphase II (MII) oocytes by vitrification.

Setting: University-affiliated IVF center.

Rescue of spermatogenesis arrest in azoospermic men after long-term gonadotropin treatment.

Several studies have shown that FSH treatment can improve sperm production quantitatively and increase the spermatogonial population in oligozoospermic men with normal hormonal profiles. In this study, we describe the results of long-term gonadotropin therapy of normogonadotropic patients with nonobstructive azoospermia.

Gonadotropin treatment of an azoospermic patient with a Y-chromosome microdeletion.

Objective: To report on the treatment with recombinant FSH of an azoospermic normogonadotropic patient with a Y-chromosome microdeletion.

Design: Case report.

Setting: An assisted reproduction center.

Effect of cryoprotectants on the ultrastructure of cooled human pronuclear oocytes.

Ultrastructural changes in human pronuclear oocytes were evaluated after cooling in the presence or absence of cryoprotectant.

Modified vitrification of human pronuclear oocytes: efficacy and effect on ultrastructure.

The efficacy of cryopreservation by direct plunging into liquid nitrogen (vitrification) of human pronuclear oocytes using open pulled straws with a super-finely pulled tip, as well as the ultrastructural changes caused by cooling and vitrification, were evaluated. Clinical and electron microscopic studies of cooled and vitrified oocytes were performed. Oocytes were cooled to 4 degrees C in the presence and absence of cryoprotectants, vitrified, warmed, cultured and transferred.

Effect of highly purified urinary follicle-stimulating hormone on oocyte and embryo quality.

Objective: To determine the effects of ovarian stimulation with highly purified urofollitropin on oocyte and embryo quality.

Design: Parallel randomized open-label clinical study.

Setting: Assisted reproduction centers.

Usefulness of the hypo-osmotic swelling test in predicting pregnancy rate and outcome in couples undergoing intrauterine insemination.

This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test in predicting successful conception and the pregnancy outcome in couples in whom men are affected by mild infertility and fertile women are treated with ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination (IUI). We retrospectively analyzed the results obtained from 120 couples who underwent not more than 3 consecutive cycles of gonadotropin-induced mono-ovulation followed by IUI. Semen was analyzed by classical parameters, and the HOS test was performed using a hypo-osmotic solution.

Twin pregnancy after vitrification of 2-pronuclei human embryos.

Objective: To report an ongoing twin pregnancy after transfer of embryos that were vitrified at the 2-pronuclei stage in a new vitrification solution.

Design: Case report.

Setting: A tertiary-care infertility clinic.