Telomerase activity, telomere length, and the euploidy rate of human embryos.

Background: Telomeres maintain chromosome stability, while telomerase counteracts their progressive shortening. Telomere length varies between cell types, with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) decreasing with age. Reduced telomerase activity has been linked to reproductive issues in females, such as low pregnancy rates and premature ovarian failure, with recent studies indicating correlations between telomere length in granulosa cells and IVF outcomes.

COVID-19 - compliant - IVF: reorganized clinical practice taking into account the pandemic.

Purpose: The need for protective measures during the COVID-19 pandemic forced assisted reproduction centers to adopt new protocols in order to reduce the risk of infection for patients and staff. A COVID-19 Compliant IVF ( fertilization) program based on the use of follitropin delta to induce ovarian stimulation and fixed protocol with GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone) antagonists was applied to demonstrate the efficacy of this program in reducing the necessity of patients to be present within the clinic while maintaining the expected success rate.

Methods: The program was applied to 100 patients (women aged between 20 and 40 years, at their first IVF cycle): pretreatment assessment was carried out video conference and clinical documentations were sent by email.