Urinary steroid profiling in women hints at a diagnostic signature of the polycystic ovary syndrome: A pilot study considering neglected steroid metabolites.

Background: Although the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women with vast metabolic consequences, its etiology remains unknown and its diagnosis is still made by exclusion. This study aimed at characterizing a large number of urinary steroid hormone metabolites and enzyme activities in women with and without PCOS in order to test their value for diagnosing PCOS.

Methods: Comparative steroid profiling of 24h urine collections using an established in-house gas-chromatography mass spectrometry method.

Gonadotrophin stimulation in IVF alters the immune cell profile in follicular fluid and the cytokine concentrations in follicular fluid and serum.

Study Question: Are the immune cell profiles and the cytokine concentrations in follicular fluid (FF) and serum at the preovulatory stage different in conventional exogenous gonadotrophin stimulated IVF (c-IVF) compared with natural cycle IVF (NC-IVF)?

Summary Answer: The cell counts of CD45+ leucocytes and T cell subpopulations and the cytokine concentrations in FF and serum are different in c-IVF compared to NC-IVF.

What Is Known Already: FF-derived cells are heterogeneous. Immune cells are involved in intra-ovarian processes and cytokines are required for normal follicular development.

A Comparison of Radiocolloid and Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging, Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in Patients with Cervical Cancer Undergoing Laparoscopic Surgery.

Background And Purpose: (99)TC combined with blue-dye mapping is considered the best sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping technique in cervical cancer. Indocyanine green (ICG) with near infrared fluorescence imaging has been introduced as a new methodology for SLN mapping. The aim of this study was to compare these two techniques in the laparoscopic treatment of cervical cancer.

Anti-Müllerian hormone and progesterone levels produced by granulosa cells are higher when derived from natural cycle IVF than from conventional gonadotropin-stimulated IVF.

Background: The study was designed to compare the effect of in vitro FSH stimulation on the hormone production and gene expression profile of granulosa cells (GCs) isolated from single naturally matured follicles obtained from natural cycle in vitro fertilization (NC-IVF) with granulosa cells obtained from conventional gonadotropin-stimulated IVF (c-IVF).

Methods: Lutein granulosa cells from the dominant follicle were isolated and cultured in absence or presence of recombinant FSH. The cultures were run for 48 h and six days.

Vaginal cytokines do not correlate with postmenopausal vulvovaginal symptoms.

Objectives: Exploratory pilot study to determine the correlation between postmenopausal vulvovaginal symptoms and vaginal cytokine levels.

Methods: Postmenopausal women (n = 34) not using menopausal hormone therapy and presenting with or without symptoms of vulvovaginal irritation were screened. Each participant underwent a vaginal examination and screening for vaginitis.

Serum but not follicular fluid cytokine levels are increased in stimulated versus natural cycle IVF: a multiplexed assay study.

Throughout follicular growth the number of immune cells increases, enhanced under stimulation with exogenous gonadotropins. This treatment, however, may adversely influence folliculogenesis and negatively affect oocyte quality through modifications in the follicular concentrations of cytokines released by these immune cells. We studied this hypothesis by systematically analysing the concentrations of cytokines present in the serum and follicular fluid at the time of follicular aspiration in conventional gonadotropin-stimulated (c-IVF) cycles in comparison with natural cycle IVF (NC-IVF) in which the follicles were naturally matured.

Gonadotrophin stimulation for in vitro fertilization significantly alters the hormone milieu in follicular fluid: a comparative study between natural cycle IVF and conventional IVF.

Study Question: Is the steroid hormone profile in follicular fluid (FF) at the time of oocyte retrieval different in naturally matured follicles, as in natural cycle IVF (NC-IVF), compared with follicles stimulated with conventional gonadotrophin stimulated IVF (cIVF)?

Summary Answer: Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) concentrations are ∼3-fold higher, androstenedione (A2) is ∼1.5-fold higher and luteinizing hormone (LH) is ∼14-fold higher in NC-IVF than in cIVF follicles, suggesting an alteration of the follicular metabolism in conventional gonadotrophin stimulated IVF.

What Is Known Already: In conventional IVF, the implantation rate of unselected embryos appears to be lower than in NC-IVF, which is possibly due to negative effects of the stimulation regimen on follicular metabolism.

Vaginal cytokines do not differ between postmenopausal women with and without symptoms of vulvovaginal irritation.

Objective: The aim of this exploratory pilot study was to determine if there are differences in vaginal cytokine levels between postmenopausal women with and without vulvovaginal irritative symptoms (itching, burning, or pain).

Methods: Postmenopausal women (n = 34) not using hormone therapy and presenting with or without symptoms of vulvovaginal irritation were asked to volunteer for this study. Each participant underwent a vaginal examination and screening for vaginitis using Amsel criteria, pH, and light microscopy.

Exogenous gonadotropins do not increase the blood-follicular transportation capacity of extra-ovarian hormones such as prolactin and cortisol.

Backgrounds: In vitro fertilization involves high dosage gonadotropin stimulation, which apparently has some negative impact on follicular endocrine function. As chorionic gonadotropin stimulation has been shown to increase the blood-follicular permeability in animal models, this raises the question if such an effect also applies to gonadotropins in humans, possibly affecting the endocrine follicular milieu.

Findings: Follicular fluid and serum were collected at the time of follicular aspiration in in vitro fertilisation without (Natural cycle IVF, n = 24) and with (conventional gonadotropin stimulated IVF, n = 31) gonadotropin stimulation.

Combination of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists with GnRH antagonists before chemotherapy reduce but does not completely prevent a follicle-stimulating hormone flare-up.

Increasing evidence supports GnRH agonists to be an effective treatment to preserve ovarian function during chemotherapy, but the initial flare-up of FSH during the first week after GnRH agonist application still limits its use. The combination of GnRH agonists with GnRH antagonists might solve this problem to some extent as the addition of GnRH antagonists at least significantly reduces the FSH flare-up.