Efficacy of luteal estrogen administration and an early follicular Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist priming protocol in poor responders undergoing fertilization.

Objectives: We investigated whether luteal estrogen administration and an early follicular Gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (E/G-ant) priming protocol improves clinical outcomes in poor responders to controlled ovarian stimulation for fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer, and identified underlying mechanisms.

Methods: This restrospective study consisted of 65 poor responders who underwent the E/G-ant priming protocol. Sixty-four other poor responders undergoing conventional protocols without pretreatment were included as the control group.

Reproductive outcomes of retransferring retained embryos in blastocyst transfer cycles.

Objective: To determine the incidence of embryo retention (ER) in the transfer catheter following embryo transfer (ET) in blastocyst transfer and investigate whether retransferring retained embryos has an impact on reproductive outcomes in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-ET.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 1,131 blastocyst transfers, which comprised 223 single blastocyst transfer (SBT) and 908 double blastocyst transfer (DBT) cycles. Each SBT and DBT group was classified depending on whether ET was performed without retained embryos in the catheter during the first attempt (without-ER group) or whether any retained embryos were found following ET (ER group) for the purpose of comparing reproductive outcomes in a homogenous population.

Resistance of uterine radial artery blood flow was correlated with peripheral blood NK cell fraction and improved with low molecular weight heparin therapy in women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss.

Problem: To investigate whether peripheral blood natural killer (pbNK) cell levels are associated with uterine blood flow, and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) treatment is effective to improve uterine blood flow in women with decreased uterine blood flow and unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).

Method Of Study: This was a prospective controlled study. Study population included 33 pregnant women (between 5 and 7 weeks gestation) with ≥ 2 RPL and controls were 47 healthy pregnant women.

Elevated natural killer cell levels and autoimmunity synergistically decrease uterine blood flow during early pregnancy.

Objective: To investigate whether natural killer (NK) cell and autoimmune antibody acts synergistically, by the action of autoantibodies to increase NK cell number and cytotoxicity, to decrease uterine blood flow during early pregnancy in pregnant women with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA).

Methods: Seventy-five pregnant women (between 5 and 7 weeks gestation) with a history of unexplained RSA were included in the study group. Forty-one pregnant women without a history of RSA were included as controls.