Overuse of analgesics can affect the fertility biomarker Anti-Müllerian Hormone in females. A translational study.

Background: Medication overuse headache is a prevalent secondary headache due to the overuse of analgesics, mainly over-the-counter analgesics. Over-the-counter analgesics have been associated with disrupted male endocrinology, while the effects on female endocrinology remain nearly unknown. The aim was to understand the effect of long-term analgesic exposure in females with medication overuse headache on Anti-Müllerian hormone, a surrogate measure of female fertility.

High Variability of Molecular Isoforms of AMH in Follicular Fluid and Granulosa Cells From Human Small Antral Follicles.

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a member of the TGF-β superfamily produced by follicular granulosa cells (GCs) in women from late gestation to the end of reproductive life. AMH is thought to inhibit aromatase (i.e.

Freeze-all versus fresh blastocyst transfer strategy during in vitro fertilisation in women with regular menstrual cycles: multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the ongoing pregnancy rate between a freeze-all strategy and a fresh transfer strategy in assisted reproductive technology treatment.

Design: Multicentre, randomised controlled superiority trial.

Setting: Outpatient fertility clinics at eight public hospitals in Denmark, Sweden, and Spain.

Ovarian cortical follicle density in infertile women with low anti-Müllerian hormone.

Purpose: To evaluate the association between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle density in infertile women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) versus women with normal ovarian reserve?

Methods: Case-control study comparing follicle densities in ovarian cortex from 20 infertile women with DOR (AMH ≤ 5 pmol/L) and 100 controls with presumed normal ovarian reserve.

Results: For all women > 25 years, the follicle densities correlated positively with AMH levels. For each single picomole per liter increase in AMH the follicle density increased by 6% (95% CI 3.

Biopsying, fragmentation and autotransplantation of fresh ovarian cortical tissue in infertile women with diminished ovarian reserve.

Study Question: Can ovarian biopsying per se and/or autotransplantation of fragmented ovarian cortical tissue activate dormant follicles and increase the number of recruitable follicles for IVF/ICSI in women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR)?

Summary Answer: Ovarian biopsying followed by immediate autotransplantation of fragmented cortical tissue failed to increase the number of recruitable follicles for IVF/ICSI 10 weeks after the procedure either at the graft site or in the biopsied ovary, but 12 of the 20 women subsequently had a clinical pregnancy during the 1-year follow-up.

What Is Known Already: Infertile women with DOR constitute a group of patients with poor reproductive outcome mainly due to the low number of mature oocytes available for IVF/ICSI. Recent studies have shown that in vitro activation of residual dormant follicles by both chemical treatment and tissue fragmentation has resulted in return of menstrual cycles and pregnancies in a fraction of amenorrhoeic women with premature ovarian insufficiency.

Transcription profile of the insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway during human ovarian follicular development.

Purpose: The IGF signaling cascade exerts important regulatory functions in human ovarian folliculogenesis. The scope of this study was to evaluate the transcription profile of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) genes during human ovarian follicle development and to analyze follicle fluid levels of key IGF proteins.

Methods: Gene expression profiling was performed with microarray gene analysis.

Autotransplantation of fragmented ovarian cortical tissue: a laparoscopic demonstration.

Objective: To describe and demonstrate a simple and secure procedure for laparoscopic autotransplantation of fragmented ovarian cortical tissue in women with diminished ovarian reserve as part of in vitro activation (IVA) of ovarian follicles.

Design: Step-by-step video explanation of the surgical procedure with still pictures and surgical video clips to demonstrate the detailed technique.

Setting: Fertility clinic and obstetrics and gynecology department at a university hospital.

Hallmarks of Human Small Antral Follicle Development: Implications for Regulation of Ovarian Steroidogenesis and Selection of the Dominant Follicle.

Regulation of human ovarian steroidogenesis differs from other species and precise knowledge on how human small antral follicles (hSAF) develop and acquire competence for continued growth and steroid output is still incomplete. The present study has characterized almost 1,000 normal hSAF collected in connection with cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation. The antral follicles (ranging from 3 to 13 mm) were generally aspirated from one ovary surgically removed during the natural cycle, and the follicular fluid (FF) and the granulosa cells (GC) were isolated and snap-frozen.

Viable acrosome-intact human spermatozoa in the ejaculate as a marker of semen quality and fertility status.

Study Question: Is it possible, in an unbiased and clinical relevant way, to determine the number of viable acrosome-intact human spermatozoa in ejaculates and to use this as a measure of fertility chances?

Summary Answer: Image cytometry enables easy and unbiased quantification of viable acrosome-intact spermatozoa and it correlates with semen quality and fertility status.

What Is Known Already: The presence of the acrosome and its ability to respond to physiological inducers (e.g.

Comparative pharmacology of a new recombinant FSH expressed by a human cell line.

Recombinant FSH proteins are important therapeutic agents for the treatment of infertility, including follitropin alfa expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and, more recently, follitropin delta expressed in the human cell line PER.C6. These recombinant FSH proteins have distinct glycosylation, and have distinct pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles in women.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A in human ovarian follicles and its association with intrafollicular hormone levels.

Objective: To evaluate follicular fluid (FF) levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) in relation to levels of intrafollicular hormones. Furthermore, immunostaining of human follicles of varying diameters was studied for PAPP-A, antimüllerian hormone (AMH), and aromatase, and the biological activity of PAPP-A in FF was evaluated.

Design: Laboratory investigation.

Developmental competence of oocytes isolated from surplus medulla tissue in connection with cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation.

Objective: Evaluating the developmental competence of immature oocytes collected from surplus medulla tissue in connection with ovarian tissue cryopreservation for fertility preservation.

Design: Cohort comparative study.

Setting: University laboratory in Denmark from 2011-2012.

LH-receptor gene expression in human granulosa and cumulus cells from antral and preovulatory follicles.

Context: Human granulosa cells (GC) acquire LH receptor (LHR) expression during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Currently, the precise follicular stage is unknown, and specific roles of LH in the follicular development are not fully understood.

Objective: Our objective was to measure LHR gene expression on GC and cumulus cells (CC) from normal human follicles with diameters form 3-20 mm.