Assessing ovarian response: antral follicle count versus anti-Müllerian hormone.

Oocyte number and quality decline with age; however, fertility varies significantly even among women of the same age. Various measures have been developed to predict response to ovarian stimulation and reproductive potential. Evaluation of ovarian reserve can identify patients who may experience poor response or hyper-response to exogenous gonadotrophins and can aid in the personalization of treatment to achieve good response and minimize risks.

Clinical impact of LH rises prior to and during ganirelix treatment started on day 5 or on day 6 of ovarian stimulation.

Background: We sought to evaluate the incidence and clinical impact of luteinizing hormone (LH) rises prior to and during gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist treatment started on day 5 or 6 of ovarian stimulation with recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH).

Methods: Pooled data from three trials with the GnRH antagonist ganirelix started on day 5 (n = 961) and from five trials with ganirelix started on day 6 (n = 1135) of ovarian stimulation with rFSH were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: The incidence of LH rises (LH ≥ 10.

Body mass index impacts in vitro fertilization stimulation.

The objective of the study was to prospectively determine if body mass index (BMI) is predictive of live birth rates in patients undergoing IVF. The prospective study enrolled 117 infertility patients with the primary outcome measure being IVF success rates. Mean BMI did not differ between patients with successful outcomes and those without successful outcomes.

The relationship between pulsatile GnRH secretion and cAMP production in immortalized GnRH neurons.

In perifused immortalized GnRH neurons (GT1-7), simultaneous measurements of GnRH and cAMP revealed that the secretory profiles for both GnRH and cAMP are pulsatile. An analysis of GnRH and cAMP pulses in 16 independent experiments revealed that 25% of pulses coincide. Inversion of the peak and nadir levels was found in 33% and random relationship between GnRH and cAMP found in 42% of analyzed pulses.

Multivariate analysis of factors affecting probability of pregnancy and live birth with in vitro fertilization: an analysis of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcomes Reporting System.

Objective: To evaluate factors predictive of clinical pregnancy and of pregnancy loss from assisted reproductive technology (ART) using data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology database for 2004-2006.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Clinic-based data.

Aneuploidy in abortuses following IVF and ICSI.

Purpose: To compare aneuploidy rates in first trimester pregnancy losses following IVF+/-ICSI.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of karyotypes of abortuses following conventional IVF (n=159) and ICSI (n=196).

Results: 50.

A GnRH agonist and exogenous hormone stimulation protocol has a higher live-birth rate than a natural endogenous hormone protocol for frozen-thawed blastocyst-stage embryo transfer cycles: an analysis of 1391 cycles.

Objective: To compare embryo and birth data in cryopreserved-thawed blastocyst-stage ET cycles between natural endogenous hormone cycles and exogenous hormone stimulation cycles.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Large academic assisted reproductive technology center.

The p53 codon 72 single nucleotide polymorphism lacks a significant effect on implantation rate in fresh in vitro fertilization cycles: an analysis of 1,056 patients.

Objective: To determine whether the p53 codon 72 single nucleotide polymorphism, a change of the amino acid arginine (Arg) to proline (Pro) resulting from a single nucleotide mutation of guanine (G) to cytosine (C), has a clinically significant effect on implantation rate in fresh IVF cycles.

Design: Prospective cohort analysis.

Setting: University-affiliated private IVF center.

Live birth sex ratios are not influenced by blastocyst-stage embryo transfer.

Objective: To analyze the sex ratio of infants born after blastocyst-stage transfer of embryos with normal preimplantation FISH genetic screening.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Large academic assisted reproductive technology center.

Logarithmic curves depicting initial level and rise of serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin and live delivery outcomes with in vitro fertilization: an analysis of 6021 pregnancies.

Objective: To correlate the live delivery rate with the initial level and rise of serum beta-hCG.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Large private academic center for assisted reproductive technologies and infertility.

A luteal estradiol protocol for anticipated poor-responder patients may improve delivery rates.

Objective: To compare IVF data and outcomes between a standard protocol and a luteal phase E(2) protocol.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting(s): Large academic assisted reproduction technologies center.

Male age negatively impacts embryo development and reproductive outcome in donor oocyte assisted reproductive technology cycles.

Objective: To determine whether male age influences embryo development and reproductive potential in assisted reproductive technology cycles.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Private IVF center.

A luteal estradiol protocol for expected poor-responders improves embryo number and quality.

Objective: To compare embryo and oocyte data between a standard protocol and a luteal phase estradiol protocol.

Design: Retrospective paired cohort analysis.

Setting: Private in vitro fertilization (IVF) center.

Low-dose aspirin use does not improve in vitro fertilization outcomes in poor responders.

Objective: To assess if aspirin improves pregnancy outcome in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with a diagnosis of poor response.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Academic private practice.

The predictive value for in vitro fertility delivery rates is greatly impacted by the method used to select the threshold between normal and elevated basal follicle-stimulating hormone.

Objective: To evaluate the predictive accuracy of different methodologies for selecting a basal FSH threshold level that prognosticates live birth after IVF.

Design: Retrospective.

Setting: Academic private practice.

The utility of serum leptin and follicular fluid leptin, estradiol, and progesterone levels during an in vitro fertilization cycle.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate serum and follicular fluid leptin, estradiol, and progesterone levels during in vitro fertilization.

Methods: Prospective observational study measuring serum levels at six points during the IVF cycle and follicular fluid at the time of retrieval.

Results: Serum leptin and estradiol levels both significantly increased for the individual patients during the IVF stimulation process.

Changes in measured endometrial thickness predict in vitro fertilization success.

Objective: To assess the predictive ability of endometrial thickness and changes in endometrial thickness on pregnancy outcomes in patients undergoing IVF.

Design: Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Academic IVF center.

The pre-cycle blind mock embryo transfer is an inaccurate predictor of anticipated embryo transfer depth.

Purpose: To assess if the uterine cavity depth measured by a blind pre-cycle mock transfer changes after gonadotropin stimulation.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study at an academic IVF program involving 128 infertility patients. The main outcome measures were uterine cavity depth measured at the blind pre-stimulation mock transfer and the ultrasound-guided embryo transfer.

Surgical competence of obstetrics and gynecology residents performing microsurgical tubal anastamoses.

Objective: To assess tubal patency rates after microsurgical tubal anastamosis in a residency program.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort analysis. Primary outcome measurement was tubal patency rates.

A prospective analysis of the changes in ovarian morphology during hormonal pituitary suppression before in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To assess the change in ovarian morphology at three specific times integral to an IVF cycle, and to evaluate the factors associated with a change in ovarian morphology after pituitary desensitization.

Design: Prospective cohort analysis.

Setting: Academic IVF center.

Adjuvant therapy enhances endometrial receptivity in patients undergoing assisted reproduction.

Adjuvant therapies are often used to enhance endometrial thickness during IVF. This retrospective cohort analysis investigated if women undergoing oocyte donation cycles with sonographic evidence of endometrial insufficiency benefit from adjuvant medicaltherapy. Infertile patients received 503 mock cycles followed by 503 anonymous oocyte donation cycles.

Basal ovarian cysts and clomiphene citrate ovulation induction cycles.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of simple basal ovarian cysts in patients undergoing infertility treatment with clomiphene citrate. To evaluate the effect of clomiphene citrate on pretreatment simple ovarian cysts.

Methods: Prospective cohort trial of 84 infertility patients undergoing ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate.

Basal and cycle androgen levels correlate with in vitro fertilization stimulation parameters but do not predict pregnancy outcome.

Objective: To evaluate androgen levels before and during IVF. To assess for an association between androgen levels and IVF stimulation parameters or IVF pregnancy outcome.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Impact of body mass index on in vitro fertilization outcomes.

Purpose: To determine if body mass index (BMI) impacts IVF outcome.

Methods: Retrospective, cohort study. Main outcome measure was number of oocytes obtained.