Mid-pregnancy, perinatal, and neonatal reproductive endocrinology: a prospective cohort study in twins and singleton control subjects.

Objective: To answer the questions: Are perinatal reproductive hormone profiles different in case of a twin compared with a singleton pregnancy? Are reproductive endocrine profiles of twin girls influenced by their male co-twin and vice versa?

Design: Prospective cohort study from January 2004 to October 2009.

Setting: Not applicable.

Patient(s): A total of 204 mothers of twins and 248 singleton control subjects, aged >18 years, pregnant with a twin or singleton and no endocrine disease or malignancy.

Short-term changes in hormonal profiles after laparoscopic ovarian laser evaporation compared with diagnostic laparoscopy for PCOS.

Study Question: Which reproductive endocrine changes are attributed exclusively to laparoscopic ovarian drilling in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)?

Summary Answer: Laser evaporation-specific endocrine effects were the prevention of an immediate increase in inhibin B and a sustained decrease in testosterone, androstenedione and anti-Müllarian hormone (AMH).

What Is Known Already: All ovarian drilling procedures result in reproductive endocrine changes. It is not known which of these changes are the result of ovarian drilling and which are related to the surgery per se.

Influence of ovarian manipulation on reproductive endocrinology in polycystic ovarian syndrome and regularly cycling women.

Objective: Little is known about the function of the ovarian neuronal network in humans. In many species, copulation influences endocrinology through this network. As a first step, the possible influence of ovarian mechanical manipulation on pituitary and ovarian hormones was evaluated in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and regularly cycling women.

Insulin-induced capillary recruitment is impaired in both lean and obese women with PCOS.

Background: Insulin resistance, i.e. impaired insulin-mediated glucose uptake (IMGU), is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Pituitary sensitizing effect of GnRH antagonists: a mechanism explaining LH escape during IVF?

Background: GnRH antagonists have been introduced to induce persistent LH suppression. Many studies show a gradual increase of LH levels after several days of GnRH antagonist administration, the so-called escape or rebound effect. We hypothesize that, under chronic GnRH antagonist administration, a higher pituitary response to GnRH could be an underlying mechanism explaining the escape phenomenon.

Obese but not normal-weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome are characterized by metabolic and microvascular insulin resistance.

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obesity are associated with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but it is unclear to what extent PCOS contributes independently of obesity.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether insulin sensitivity and insulin's effects on the microcirculation are impaired in normal-weight and obese women with PCOS.

Design And Population: Thirty-five women with PCOS (19 normal weight and 16 obese) and 27 age- and body mass index-matched controls (14 normal weight and 13 obese) were included.

Aging women with polycystic ovary syndrome who achieve regular menstrual cycles have a smaller follicle cohort than those who continue to have irregular cycles.

Objective: To examine whether follicle loss due to ovarian aging is responsible for the occurrence of regular menstrual cycles in aging women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the size of the FSH-sensitive follicle cohort was estimated by the exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone ovarian reserve test (EFORT) and related to the follicle count as measured by ultrasound.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Reproductive endocrinology unit of an academic medical center.

Obesity, rather than menstrual cycle pattern or follicle cohort size, determines hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia and hypertension in ageing women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate if ageing women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who gained regular menstrual cycles differed from women who continued to menstruate irregularly with regard to risk factors for developing diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis.

Design And Patients: In the original study of a population of 346 PCOS patients, defined in the past as having oligo- or amenorrhoea and elevated LH concentrations, we had sent out a questionnaire to investigate changes in the pattern of their menstrual cycles while ageing. From this cohort of patients, a significantly older group of 53 women (mean age: 41.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiac complaints in a follow-up study of a Dutch PCOS population.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiac complaints in a Dutch population with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and to compare the results with the prevalence of these conditions in the Dutch female population, as retrieved from the Netherlands Health Interview Survey of Statistics Netherlands. A total of 346 PCOS patients were interviewed by telephone, with a mean age of 38.7 years (range 30.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome gain regular menstrual cycles when ageing.

The aim of this study was to investigate if previously oligo- or amenorrhoeic polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients gain regular menstrual cycles when ageing. Women registered as having PCOS, based on the combination of oligo- or amenorrhoea and an increased LH concentration, were invited by letter to participate in a questionnaire by telephone. In this questionnaire we asked for the prevalent menstrual cycle pattern, which we scored in regular cycles (persistently shorter than 6 weeks) or irregular cycles (longer than 6 weeks).

Ovulation induction with pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in women with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease: endocrine results.

The pituitary and gonadal response to pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) administration during the first and consecutive second treatment unit (TU) was studied in nine women with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease (PCOD). The control group consisted of eight eumenorrheic women. Luteinizing hormone levels, LH amplitudes, and total urinary excretion/24 hours did not differ between ovulatory and anovulatory TUs, but were significantly higher compared with the control group.

Pituitary response during pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone ovulation--induction in patients with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease.

The pituitary response to pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LRH) was studied in 6 women with clomiphene-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease (PCOD). PCOD was defined as oligomenorrhea, elevated luteinizing hormone (LH), normal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and, in general, elevated androgens. LRH was administered in a pulsatile way, chronically, with a pulse dose of 20 micrograms and a pulse interval of 60, 90 and 120 minutes.

Induction of first cycles in primary hypothalamic amenorrhea with pulsatile luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone: a mirror of female pubertal development.

During pubertal development in girls, the attainment of regular ovulatory menstrual cycles usually is preceded by cycles that are either anovulatory or show a defective luteal phase. It is not known whether these defective cycles are caused by inadequate luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) secretion or by an inadequate response of the pituitary-ovarian axis to LH-RH stimulation. To shed new light on this matter, the authors analyzed endocrine data from 12 menstrual cycles induced by pulsatile LH-RH therapy in five women with primary amenorrhea of hypothalamic origin.

Ovulation induction with pulsatile luteinizing releasing hormone in women with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovary-like disease: clinical results.

Eighty-four treatment units were given to 11 women with clomiphene citrate-resistant polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD). PCOD was defined as oligomenorrhea elevated luteinizing hormone (LH), normal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and preference-elevated androgens. Luteinizing-releasing hormone (LRH) was administered intravenously via a portable infusion pump.

Pulsatile luteinizing hormone patterns in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) and non-PCOD secondary amenorrhea.

To characterize the oscillations of plasma LH in normally cycling and amenorrheic women, three groups of women were studied: I, normal women during the follicular phase of the cycle (n = 9); II, women with polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD; n = 11); and III, women with non-PCOD secondary amenorrhea (n = 12). Blood samples were obtained at 10-min intervals for 6 h on 2 separate days. A pulse was defined as an increase in LH at least 20% over the preceding lowest value (nadir).