Multicentric, prospective observational data show sperm capacitation predicts male fertility, and cohort comparison reveals a high prevalence of impaired capacitation in men questioning their fertility.

Research Questions: Can a previously defined relationship between sperm capacitation and the probability of a man generating pregnancy within three cycles, prospectively predict male fertility in diverse clinical settings? A second study asked, what is the prevalence of impaired sperm fertilizing ability in men questioning their fertility (MQF), and does this relate to traditional semen analysis metrics?

Design: In the multicentric, prospective observational study, data (n = 128; six clinics) were analysed to test a published relationship between the percentage of fertilization-competent, capacitated spermatozoa (Cap-Score) and probability of generating pregnancy (PGP) within three cycles of intrauterine insemination. Logistic regression of total pregnancy outcomes (n = 252) assessed fit. In the cohort comparison, Cap-Scores of MQF (n = 2155; 22 clinics) were compared with those of 76 fertile men.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Autologous Endometrial Coculture Versus Traditional in Vitro Fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if autologous endometrial cell coculture improves embryo development and clinical outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomized to either traditional in vitro fertilization (IVF) (control, n=73) or autologous endometrial cell coculture (AECC) (n=61). All patients underwent endometrial biopsy on cycle day 5–10 post luteinizing hormone surge.

Novel fumarate hydratase mutation in a family with atypical uterine leiomyomas and hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer.

Objective: To describe a novel mutation in the fumarate hydratase (FH) gene in a family with atypical uterine leiomyomas.

Design: Case report and review of the literature.

Setting: Academic community hospital.

Randomized trial of harp therapy during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Objective: This study evaluated whether harp therapy reduces levels of stress and improves clinical outcomes in patients undergoing embryo transfer.

Design: This prospective randomized trial enrolled 181 women undergoing embryo transfer, who were randomized to harp therapy during embryo transfer or standard treatment. Patients underwent standardized psychological testing and physiologic assessment of stress.

Prognosis for clinical pregnancy and birth after transferring embryos derived from a cohort of incompletely mature oocytes at retrieval time.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to establish a prognosis for implantation, pregnancy and live birth rates in stimulated IVF cycles after transferring embryos derived from: 1/ retrieved immature oocytes that matured overnight in vitro (late mature group: LM); 2/ retrieved immature oocytes that matured overnight in vitro and were added to the embryos derived from retrieved mature oocytes (mixed embryos group: MX); and 3/ retrieved mature oocytes (mature group: M). The obtained implantation, clinical pregnancy and live birth rates for the LM group were: 5.6%, 11.

Hyaluronan binding assay (HBA) vs. sperm penetration assay (SPA): Can HBA replace the SPA test in male partner screening before in vitro fertilization?

Objective: To determine if a less expensive, easier, and faster to perform HBA test is clinically equal to the more complicated, technically challenging and expensive SPA test as a reliable indicator of sperm fertilizing capacity.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Andrology laboratory within In Vitro Fertilization Program.

Outcomes of day-1, day-3, and blastocyst cryopreserved embryo transfers.

The optimal developmental stage for cryopreserving embryos in IVF-ET remains controversial. Our study demonstrates that besides an improvement in postthaw survival rate for day-1 and blastocyst cryopreserved ET over day-3, all three groups attained statistically similar implantation, clinical pregnancy, multiple, twinning, and male gender rates.

Effect of macroscopic or microscopic blood and mucus on the success rates of embryo transfers.

Objective: To assess the effect of microscopic and macroscopic contamination of embryo transfer (ET) catheters with blood or mucus on in vitro fertilization (IVF)-ET success rates.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Infertility practice in teaching community hospital.

Role of coculture in human in vitro fertilization: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the role of coculture in human IVF.

Design: Meta-analysis. SETTING/PATIENT(S)/INTERVENTION(S): A literature search was performed using the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group Trials register, the Cochrane Central register of Controlled Trials on the Cochrane Library (2006), and MEDLINE (January 1966 to March 2006).

Da Vinci-assisted abdominal cerclage.

Objective: To report the first placement of an abdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage using the da Vinci robot.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Tertiary-care hospital.

Mouse ascites Golgi mucin expression abnormalities in natural cycle endometrial biopsies predict subsequent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failure in patients with previous IVF-ET failures.

We performed a double-blinded retrospective cohort study to determine whether endometrial expression of mouse ascites Golgi mucin in a natural, unmedicated cycle predicts subsequent IVF-ET outcome among women with prior IVF-ET failure and poor pre-embryo quality. We found a statistically significant decrease in clinical pregnancy rate among women with abnormal mouse ascites Golgi expression, a test which was found to have high positive predictive value for failed IVF-ET.

Accessory uterine appendage may be a new Müllerian malformation.

Objective: To describe a case of an accessory uterine structure.

Design: Case report.

Setting: University affiliated, community-based hospital.

A randomized prospective trial comparing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist/recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) versus GnRH-agonist/rFSH in women pretreated with oral contraceptives before in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To compare the effects of oral contraceptive (OC) pill pretreatment in recombinant FSH/GnRH-antagonist versus recombinant FSH/GnRH-agonist stimulation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients, and to evaluate optimization of retrieval day.

Design: Prospective, randomized, multicenter study.

Setting: Private practice and university centers.

Relationship between maternal age and aneuploidy in in vitro fertilization pregnancy loss.

Objective: To determine the fetal loss rate after documented fetal cardiac activity (7-week sonogram) and to evaluate the chromosomal makeup of these losses in IVF pregnancies.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: University-based IVF center.

Comparison of pregnancy, implantation, and multiple gestation rates for day 3 versus day 5 embryo transfers.

Purpose: To compare pregnancy, implantation, and multiple gestation rates resulting from day 3 and day 5 embryo transfers after in vitro fertilization emphasizing a subset of patients who met criteria for day 5 transfer but elected to undergo day 3 transfer.

Method: A retrospective analysis of day 3 and day 5 embryo transfers from January 2001 to June 2002 were evaluated in a community teaching hospital setting. A total of 331 patients < or = 40 years old were included.

Importance of the biopsy date in autologous endometrial cocultures for patients with multiple implantation failures.

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of autologous endometrial coculture by the cycle day of the endometrial biopsy.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: University-based IVF center.