Impact of diagnosis and surgical treatment of early stage borderline ovarian tumours on distress, anxiety, and psychosexual health.

Women diagnosed with gynecological cancer are likely to face additional consequences beyond those common to all cancer patients leading to significant physical and psychological morbidity. Longitudinal studies addressing the prevalence of psychological distress, anxiety, or psychosexual health during follow-up in patients diagnosed with borderline ovarian tumors are lacking. This study explores this prevalence compared with controls who underwent comparable surgical treatment for benign ovarian tumors.

Clinical pregnancy rates after blastocyst culture at a stable temperature of 36.6°C versus 37.1°C: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Study Question: Is there a difference in clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs) in good prognosis patients after single embryo transfer (SET) on Day 5, in case of stable culture at 36.6°C or 37.1°C?

Summary Answer: CPR (with heartbeat at 7 weeks) after blastocyst transfer do not differ after culturing at 36.

Oocyte donors' experience and expectations in a non-profit fertility care setting.

Purpose: In this survey, we aimed to provide the description of previous oocyte donors' profile in a Belgian tertiary fertility hospital clinic. The research question is as follows: could certain aspects be changed or improved, according to previous oocyte donors? The final purpose is to boost adherence to future oocyte donation (OD) programs, given the large gap between supply and demand.

Methods: We set up an observational cross-sectional study of oocyte donors who were recruited in a tertiary referral hospital.

Perspectives on sperm donor anonymity: insights from donor-conceived adults in Belgium.

Study Question: Are donor-conceived adults in Belgium interested in obtaining donor information, and do these interests vary based on their family backgrounds?

Summary Answer: Donor-conceived adults express a significant interest in obtaining donor-related information, with the highest interest reported by offspring from heterosexual couples compared to those from lesbian couple-parented or single-parent families.

What Is Known Already: In Belgium, sperm donation is mainly anonymous, but the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing challenges this anonymity.

Study Design, Size, Duration: This was a cross-sectional study involving an online nationwide survey conducted from July 2022 to October 2023.

Optimized sperm selection: a highly efficient device for the isolation of progressive motile sperm with low DNA fragmentation index.

Purpose: To identify the sperm preparation procedure that selects the best sperm population for medically assisted reproduction.

Methods: Prospective observational study comparing the effect of four different sperm selection procedures on various semen parameters. Unused raw semen after routine diagnostic analysis was split in four fractions and processed by four different methods: (1) density gradient centrifugation (DGC), (2) sperm wash (SW), (3) DGC followed by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS), and (4) using a sperm separation device (SSD).

Overview of the current situation of embryo donation in Belgian fertility centers.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to survey the current situation in Belgium regarding embryo donation (ED) practices and to explore the potential reasons for not offering this treatment option.

Study Design: A questionnaire was sent to all fertility centers in Belgium that are allowed to perform IVF regarding whether or not they perform ED for third parties, their overall experience with ED and the possible reasons for not doing it. The questionnaire was divided into three different sections, depending on whether the center currently performs ED for third parties, has never performed it or once performed it but no longer does.

Circadian serum progesterone variations on the day of frozen embryo transfer in artificially prepared cycles.

Research Question: What is the intra-day variation of serum progesterone related to vaginal progesterone administration on the day of frozen embryo transfer (FET) in an artificial cycle?

Design: A prospective cohort study was conducted including 22 patients undergoing a single blastocyst artificial cycle (AC)-FET from August to December 2022. Endometrial preparation was achieved by administering oestradiol valerate (2 mg three times daily) and consecutively micronized vaginal progesterone (MVP; 400 mg twice daily). A blastocyst FET was performed on the 6th day of MVP administration.

IVF with reception of oocytes from partner in lesbian couples: a systematic review and SWOT analysis.

The growing utilization of assisted reproductive technology (ART) by the LGBTQ+ community, especially among lesbian couples, challenges societal norms and promotes inclusivity. The reception of oocytes from partner (ROPA) technique enables both female partners to have a biological connection to their child. A systematic review was conducted of the literature on ROPA IVF to provide the latest data and a SWOT analysis was subsequently performed to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with ROPA IVF.

Clinical pregnancy rate for frozen embryo transfer with HRT: a randomized controlled pilot study comparing 1 week versus 2 weeks of oestradiol priming.

Research Question: Does a frozen-embryo transfer in an artificially-prepared endometrium (FET-HRT) cycle yield similar clinical pregnancy rate with 7 days of oestrogen priming compared to 14 days?

Design: This is a single-centre, randomized, controlled, open-label pilot study. All FET-HRT cycles were performed in a tertiary centre between October 2018 and January 2021. Overall, 160 patients were randomized, with a 1:1 allocation, into two groups of 80 patients each: group A (7 days of E2 prior to P4 supplementation) and group B (14 days of E2 prior to P4 supplementation).

Electronic witnessing in the medically assisted reproduction laboratory: insights and considerations after 10 years of use.

Study Question: What have we learnt after 10 years of electronic witnessing?

Summary Answer: When applied correctly, an electronic witnessing system can replace manual witnessing in the medically assisted reproduction lab to prevent sample mix-up.

What Is Known Already: Electronic witnessing systems have been implemented to improve the correct identification, processing, and traceability of biological materials. When non-matching samples are simultaneously present in a single workstation, a mismatch event is generated to prevent sample mix-up.

Lineage segregation in human pre-implantation embryos is specified by YAP1 and TEAD1.

Study Question: Which processes and transcription factors specify the first and second lineage segregation events during human preimplantation development?

Summary Answer: Differentiation into trophectoderm (TE) cells can be initiated independently of polarity; moreover, TEAD1 and YAP1 co-localize in (precursor) TE and primitive endoderm (PrE) cells, suggesting a role in both the first and the second lineage segregation events.

What Is Known Already: We know that polarity, YAP1/GATA3 signalling and phospholipase C signalling play a key role in TE initiation in compacted human embryos, however, little is known about the TEAD family of transcription factors that become activated by YAP1 and, especially, whether they play a role during epiblast (EPI) and PrE formation. In mouse embryos, polarized outer cells show nuclear TEAD4/YAP1 activity that upregulates Cdx2 and Gata3 expression while inner cells exclude YAP1 which upregulates Sox2 expression.

Individualized luteal phase support using additional oral dydrogesterone in artificially prepared frozen embryo transfer cycles: is it beneficial?

Research Question: Does additional supplementation with oral dydrogesterone improve reproductive outcomes in patients with low serum progesterone concentrations on the day of frozen embryo transfer (FET) after artificial (HRT) endometrial preparation?

Design: Retrospective, single-centre cohort study including 694 unique patients performing single blastocyst transfer in an HRT cycle. For luteal phase support, intravaginal micronized vaginal progesterone (MVP, 400 mg twice daily) was administered. Serum progesterone concentrations were assessed prior to FET and outco-mes were compared among patients with normal serum progesterone (≥8.

Micro RNA in Semen/Urine from Non-Obstructive Azoospermia Patients as Biomarkers to Predict the Presence of Testicular Spermatozoa and Spermatogonia.

About half of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) procedures in men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), including men with Klinefelter syndrome (KS), are unsuccessful. To avoid unnecessary invasive surgery, biomarkers for spermatozoa were studied. In addition, markers for spermatogonia in testis tissue were explored.

Impact of embryo vitrification on children's health, including growth up to two years of age, in comparison with results following a fresh embryo transfer.

Objective: To assess health outcomes, including growth up to 2 years of age, in children born after embryo vitrification in comparison with children born after fresh embryo transfer.

Design: A prospective cohort study.

Setting: A single-center university hospital.

Transcriptomic differences between fibrotic and non-fibrotic testicular tissue reveal possible key players in Klinefelter syndrome-related testicular fibrosis.

Klinefelter syndrome (KS; 47,XXY) affects 1-2 in 1000 males. Most men with KS suffer from an early germ cell loss and testicular fibrosis from puberty onwards. Mechanisms responsible for these processes remain unknown.

Ultrasonographic appearance of the endometrium after saline infusion in women presenting with PRM-associated endometrial changes, due to the use of ulipristal acetate.

Ulipristal acetate (UPA), used for the treatment in women with symptomatic fibroids, is associated with endometrial changes visualised on ultrasound as thickening up to more than 16 mm in approximately 10% of the patients. Is saline infusion sonography (SIS) a good alternative for more invasive techniques, to evaluate the presence of intrauterine pathology? Ten patients, presenting with UPA associated endometrial changes at their follow up ultra-sonographic evaluation, were included. Our study demonstrated that SIS is feasible and painless in patients presenting with UPA associated endometrial changes.

Mitochondrial DNA variants segregate during human preimplantation development into genetically different cell lineages that are maintained postnatally.

Humans present remarkable diversity in their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in terms of variants across individuals as well as across tissues and even cells within one person. We have investigated the timing of the first appearance of this variant-driven mosaicism. For this, we deep-sequenced the mtDNA of 254 oocytes from 85 donors, 158 single blastomeres of 25 day-3 embryos, 17 inner cell mass and trophectoderm samples of 7 day-5 blastocysts, 142 bulk DNA and 68 single cells of different adult tissues.

Intratesticular xenografting of Klinefelter pre-pubertal testis tissue as potential model to study testicular fibrosis.

Research Question: Is intratesticular xenotransplantation a potential ex-vivo model for studying testicular fibrosis related to Klinefelter syndrome?

Study Design: First, a feasibility study of an ex-vivo model to study testicular fibrosis in patients with Klinefelter syndrome was performed. Testis tissue from boys with pre-pubertal Klinefelter syndrome (n = 3) and controls (n = 2) (<18 years) was grafted to the mouse testis (n = 12) and recovered after 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks. Part two of this study consisted of a validation of this model, evaluating the effects of the mast cell blocker ketotifen on the histology of the grafts of Klinefelter syndrome (n = 5) and controls (n = 3), transplanted to mice (n = 10), after 4 weeks of ketotifen or saline treatment.

Artificially prepared vitrified-warmed embryo transfer cycles are associated with an increased risk of pre-eclampsia.

Research Question: What is the association between the development of pre-eclampsia and endometrial preparation prior to vitrified-warmed embryo transfer (frozen embryo transfer, FET)?

Design: A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary university-based hospital, including a total of 536 pregnant patients who underwent a FET between 2010 and 2019 and delivered in the same institution; 325 patients underwent natural cycle FET (NC-FET) and 211 artificial cycle FET (AC-FET).

Results: Unadjusted, the incidence of pre-eclampsia was significantly higher in AC-FET cycles than in NC-FET cycles (3.7% versus 11.