Miscarriage-Related Acute Kidney Injury: A Case Report.

Background: Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (Pr-AKI) is associated with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, with a three- to four-fold increase in perinatal mortality. Pr-AKI can arise from various obstetric complications, such as hyperemesis gravidarum, septic abortion, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, pyelonephritis, and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Therefore, early diagnosis and appropriate intervention, including the identification of the underlying etiology, are important to effectively manage Pr-AKI.

Artificial oocyte activation using Ca ionophores following intracytoplasmic sperm injection for low fertilization rate.

This large multi-center retrospective study examined whether artificial oocyte activation (AOA) using Ca ionophore following ICSI improves the live birth rate for couples with previous ICSI cycles of unexplained low fertilization rate. In this large-scale multi-center retrospective study conducted in Japan, data were collected from Keio University and 17 collaborating institutions of the Japanese Institution for Standardizing Assisted Reproductive Technology. Between January 2015 and December 2019, 198 couples were included in this study.

Pivotal Role of Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) in Uterine Leiomyoma.

Uterine leiomyomas are smooth-muscle tumors originating in the myometrium and are the most common pelvic tumors in women of reproductive age. Symptomatic tumors may result in abnormal uterine bleeding, bladder dysfunction, pelvic discomfort, and reproductive issues, such as infertility and miscarriage. There are currently few non-invasive treatments for leiomyoma, but there are no practical early intervention or preventive methods.

Donor insemination for heterosexual couples: A practice in transition.

Donor insemination (DI) has long been the treatment of choice for severe male infertility among heterosexual couples. Since disclosing when offspring become adults provokes serious emotional issues, counselors are recommending early disclosure about the treatment. Furthermore, several countries have changed their policies on nonanonymous sperm donation, concerning the strong demand of donor information from the offspring.

The Circadian Clock, Nutritional Signals and Reproduction: A Close Relationship.

The circadian rhythm, which is necessary for reproduction, is controlled by clock genes. In the mouse uterus, the oscillation of the circadian clock gene has been observed. The transcription of the core clock gene period () and cryptochrome () is activated by the heterodimer of the transcription factor circadian locomotor output cycles kaput () and brain and muscle Arnt-like protein-1 ().

Human Chorionic Villous Differentiation and Placental Development.

In humans, the placenta provides the only fetomaternal connection and is essential for establishing a pregnancy as well as fetal well-being. Additionally, it allows maternal physiological adaptation and embryonic immunological acceptance, support, and nutrition. The placenta is derived from extra-embryonic tissues that develop rapidly and dynamically in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Creation, effects on embryo quality, and clinical outcomes of a new embryo culture medium with 31 optimized components derived from human oviduct fluid: A prospective multicenter randomized trial.

Purpose: Our aim is to make an ideal embryo culture medium close to human oviduct fluid (HOF) components, and to evaluate the quality of this medium with embryo quality and clinical outcomes in assisted reproductive technology (ART) by a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: Study I: HOF was collected laparoscopically from patients (= 28) with normal pelvic findings. According to HOF analysis results, the new medium "HiGROW OVIT" (OVIT) was designed.

Evaluation of the clinical performance of noninvasive prenatal testing at a Japanese laboratory.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in high-risk pregnant women.

Methods: Pregnant women who underwent GeneTech NIPT, the most commonly used NIPT in Japan, between January 2015 and March 2019, at Japan NIPT Consortium medical sites were recruited for this study. The exclusion criteria were as follows: pregnant women with missing survey items, multiple pregnancy/vanishing twins, chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus other than the NIPT target disease, and nonreportable NIPT results.

Efficacy of combined estrogen-progestin hormone contraception therapy for refractory coronary spastic angina in very young women.

Coronary spastic angina (CSA) in premenopausal women is rare, but has also been suggested to be associated with estrogen decline during the menstrual cycle. In this report, we describe the case of a young premenopausal patient with refractory CSA. She presented with ventricular fibrillation (VF) at the age of 15 years and was diagnosed as having CSA.

Non-adherence to Medications in Pregnant Ulcerative Colitis Patients Contributes to Disease Flares and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Background: Adherence to medications is important to maintain disease under control and to prevent complications in pregnant patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). To evaluate the incidence of non-adherence during pregnancy and its effect on relapse and pregnancy outcomes, we conducted a multicenter prospective study using a patient self-reporting system without physician interference.

Methods: Sixty-eight pregnant UC women were recruited from 17 institutions between 2013 and 2019.

Transcriptomic features of trophoblast lineage cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells treated with BMP 4.

Introduction: Early development of the human placenta remains poorly understood due to the lack of proper model systems. Previous reports have demonstrated that human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) treated with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) can differentiate into extraembryonic tissues as useful models of the early stage of trophoblast (TB) differentiation. In our previous study, we optimized the culture conditions of hiPSC-derived TB lineages, but the differentiated cells were heterogeneous.

Ninety babies born after round spermatid injection into oocytes: survey of their development from fertilization to 2 years of age.

Objective: To compare physical and cognitive development of babies born after round spermatid injection (ROSI) with those born after natural conception.

Design: Comparison of efficiencies of ROSI and ICSI using testicular spermatozoa, performed in the St. Mother Clinic.

Ultrasound Elastography can Detect Placental Tissue Abnormalities.

Background: In this prospective cohort study, we examined the utility of elastography to evaluate the fetus and placenta.

Patients And Methods: Pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy, by which time the placenta has formed, were included in this study. A total of 111 women underwent ultrasound examinations, including elastography.

Mid-trimester residual cervical length and the risk of preterm birth in pregnancies after abdominal radical trachelectomy: a retrospective analysis.

Objective: To investigate the association between mid-trimester residual cervical length (CL) and the risk of preterm birth in pregnancies after abdominal radical trachelectomy (RT).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: University hospital.

Efficient production of trophoblast lineage cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are potentially useful in both clinical applications and basic biological research. hiPSCs can differentiate into extra-embryonic cells in the presence of BMP4. However, the differentiation potential of hiPSCs can be affected by culture conditions or genetic variation.

Factors affecting pregnancy outcomes in young women treated with fertility-preserving therapy for well-differentiated endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia.

Background: Patients hoping to preserve their fertility receive conservative treatment with high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) for well-differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EC) or atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) . Such treatment generally involves frequent intrauterine operations, including dilation and curettage (D&C) and endometrial biopsy (EMB), which could result in endometritis, endometrial thinning, or intrauterine adhesion. In turn, any of these outcomes could adversely affect implantation and pregnancy development.

Pregnancy Outcomes After Abdominal Radical Trachelectomy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A 13-Year Experience in a Single Tertiary-Care Center.

Objective: To investigate pregnancy outcomes in women after abdominal radical trachelectomy (RT) for early-stage cervical cancer.

Methods: The patients' background, fertility, and pregnancy outcomes were reviewed in a total of 61 pregnancies in 48 of 172 women who underwent abdominal RT at Keio University Hospital between September 2002 and December 2013.

Results: There were 5 women with stage IA1, 2 with stage IA2, and 41 with stage IB1.

Sexual satisfaction of infertile couples assessed using the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS).

Recently, infertility treatment-related psychological effects are receiving increased attention. However, whether sexual satisfaction is reduced amongst infertile couples remains to be elucidated. In this study, sexual satisfaction of Japanese infertile couples was assessed using a validated questionnaire designed to assess the male and female partner individually, and the couple as a whole for the first time.