Chronotypes in middle-aged women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A population-based study.

Introduction: Circadian rhythm disruption has been associated with the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), as the evening chronotype (EC) shares several traits with PCOS, including metabolic disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and psychiatric disorders. It has been suggested that the biological clock could be targeted with new, preventive, and therapeutic strategies for PCOS in women with biorhythm disorders. We evaluated inner circadian rhythmicity in middle-aged women with PCOS in a population-based setting, focusing on whether women with PCOS and an EC have a specific subtype in relation to their clinical characteristics.

Pregnancy potential and perinatal outcomes of embryos cryopreserved twice: a case-control study.

Research Question: What are the pregnancy and perinatal outcomes of twice-cryopreserved embryos compared with embryos cryopreserved once?

Design: Retrospective register-based case-control study. The case group consisted of transfers of twice-cryopreserved embryos (n = 89), and the control group of transfers of embryos cryopreserved once (n = 304). Matching criteria were embryonic age at transfer and female age category of less than 35 years or 35 and greater.

A Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser patient with leiomyoma and dysplasia of neovagina: a case report.

Background: Most patients with congenital uterus and vaginal aplasia (i.e., Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser [MRKH] syndrome) have rudimentary pelvic uterine structures that contain smooth muscle.

Multinucleation in Day Two Embryos Is Not Associated with Multinucleation in Sibling Embryos After Freezing and Thawing.

Background: Multinucleated embryos exhibit impaired implantation potential, but whether the presence of multinucleated embryos in an embryo cohort reflects the quality of the entire cohort is controversial. No data exists on multinucleation rate among frozen-thawed embryos.

Methods: De novo multinucleation and the number of multinucleated embryos on day two of embryo culture before freezing (D2) (n=415), at thawing (D2t) (n=320) and after an overnight culture after thawing (D3t) (n=265) was recorded.

Vaginal cuff dehiscence is observed in a higher rate after total laparoscopic hysterectomy compared with other types of hysterectomy.

Introduction: Recently, it has been suggested that the occurrence of posthysterectomy vaginal cuff dehiscence has increased. Consequently, we evaluated the incidence of vaginal cuff dehiscence after different types of hysterectomies. Our hypothesis is that vaginal cuff dehiscence is more often associated with total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) than other types of uterine removal.

Pregnancy and perinatal outcomes after transfer of binucleated or multinucleated frozen-thawed embryos: a case-control study.

Blastomere multinucleation in human embryos is a common phenomenon, but data on its effect on pregnancy outcome and the health of newborns are scarce. In this case-control study, we assessed pregnancy and perinatal outcomes from 136 binucleated and multinucleated frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles against a control group of 136 non-binucleated and multinucleated frozen embryo transfer cycles. Clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were lower among the case group (29.

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation among alternatives for fertility preservation in the Nordic countries - compilation of 20 years of multicenter experience.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to report the current status of ovarian tissue cryopreservation among alternatives for fertility preservation in the Nordic countries.

Material And Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 14 Nordic academic reproductive centers with established fertility preservation programs. It covered fertility preservation cases performed up to December 2014, standard procedures for ovarian tissue cryopreservation and oocyte cryopreservation and reproductive outcomes following ovarian tissue transplantation.

[Premature ovarian insufficiency--a threat to a woman's health?].

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by cessation of menstruation and elevated follicle stimulating hormone levels before the age of 40. Patients may have hypoestrogenic symptoms such as hot flushes. Most cases are idiopathic but the underlying mechanisms can be genetic, autoimmune-based or iatrogenic.

A case of conjoined twins after a transfer of a multinuclear embryo.

A pregnancy with conjoined twins was observed after transfer of a multinuclear embryo. As nuclear mechanisms have a role in cellular differentiation, association between multinucleation and fetal malformations is possible. Follow-up studies on children born after transfer of embryos with bi/multinuclear blastomeres are needed.

TBX6, LHX1 and copy number variations in the complex genetics of Müllerian aplasia.

Background: Müllerian aplasia (MA) is a congenital disorder of the female reproductive tract with absence of uterus and vagina with paramount impact on a woman's life. Despite intense research, no major genes have been found to explain the complex genetic etiology.

Methods And Results: We have used several genetic methods to study 112 patients with MA.

[Reproductive health after cancer treatment--contraception, planning and monitoring of pregnancy].

Infertility is common after cancer treatments, but pregnancies of those treated for cancer usually proceed well. Pretreatment counseling by a fertility doctor improves posttreatment quality of life. The most important issues to be considered in pregnancy planning and monitoring include cytotoxic drug induced organ-specific insufficiencies and radiotherapy targeted at the thoracic region, whole body, or at the uterus during childhood.

Altered expression of genes involved in the production and degradation of endometrial extracellular matrix in patients with unexplained infertility and recurrent miscarriages.

During the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, the composition of extracellular matrix (ECM) in endometrium changes to favour implantation. In the present study, we have analysed whether some cases of unexplained infertility and recurrent abortions could be explained by abnormal production or turnover of endometrial ECM. Comparison of mRNA levels of a panel of collagens, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP) and cathepsins in the samples revealed higher levels of type I collagen, MMP-2 and cathepsin H and decreased levels of TIMP-3 mRNA in mid-secretory endometrium of patients with unexplained infertility and/or recurrent miscarriages when compared with normal mid-secretory endometrium.

Expression patterns of cathepsins B, H, K, L and S in the human endometrium.

Cathepsins B, H, K, L and S belong to the family of lysosomal cysteine proteinases and participate in a variety of proteolytic processes, including degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In the present study, we used Northern hybridization to demonstrate the presence of mRNAs for cathepsins B, H, K, L and S in human endometrium during both the proliferative and secretory phases of menstrual cycle. The mRNA levels for cathepsins H and K were significantly lower in secretory phase endometrium in comparison with proliferative phase endometrium.

Placental expression of syndecan 1 is diminished in preeclampsia.

Objective: Syndecan 1 is a cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan that binds growth factors and antithrombin III. The objective of this study was to examine whether placental expression of syndecan 1 in preeclampsia differs from that in normal pregnancy and whether gestational age and fetal growth affect syndecan 1 expression.

Study Design: An immunohistochemical analysis of 30 placentas of women with severe preeclampsia and 15 placentas of women without preeclampsia was performed with the monoclonal anti-syndecan 1 antibody B-B4.

Hypothyroidism among infertile women in Finland.

The main aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the occurrence of hypothyroidism among Finnish women with infertility. For this purpose, the records of 335 women presenting for the first time with infertility at the outpatient clinic of reproductive endocrinology at Turku University Central Hospital during a 3-year period (January 1992 to December 1994) were reviewed. Due to missing data, 36 women were excluded from the analysis.

Pre-eclampsia does not change the adhesion molecule status in the placental bed.

During normal placentation trophoblast cells invade maternal tissues and remodel the uterine arteries into low-resistance channels. In pre-eclampsia, trophoblast invasion is impaired and this, along with endothelial dysfunction, has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia. We studied the expression of adhesion molecules important for leukocyte extravasation in the placental bed with immunohistochemistry and compared the expression in pre-eclampsia to that in normal pregnancy.

Expression of syndecan-1 in human placenta and decidua.

Syndecan-1 is a cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycan, which binds to the extracellular matrix (ECM), growth factors and antithrombin III. The early expression of syndecan-1 during mouse embryonic development suggests a potential role in the communication between the embryo and the ECM of decidua. Using immunohistochemical methods, the present study showed that the expression of syndecan-1 in the trophoblast cells changes along trophoblast differentiation.