A systematic review and meta-analysis of double trophectoderm biopsy and/or cryopreservation in PGT: balancing the need for a diagnosis against the risk of harm.

Background: To prevent the transfer of embryos affected by monogenic conditions and/or chromosomal defects, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) requires trophectoderm biopsy and cryopreservation. In 2-6% of biopsies, the diagnosis may be inconclusive due to DNA amplification failure or low-quality results. In these cases, a round of re-warming, re-biopsy, and re-cryopreservation is required to obtain a genetic diagnosis.

Oocyte donors' experience and expectations in a non-profit fertility care setting.

Purpose: In this survey, we aimed to provide the description of previous oocyte donors' profile in a Belgian tertiary fertility hospital clinic. The research question is as follows: could certain aspects be changed or improved, according to previous oocyte donors? The final purpose is to boost adherence to future oocyte donation (OD) programs, given the large gap between supply and demand.

Methods: We set up an observational cross-sectional study of oocyte donors who were recruited in a tertiary referral hospital.

Going Beyond Childhood and Gender-Based Violence: Epigenetic Modifications and Inheritance.

Being exposed to childhood or gender-based violence is associated with subsequent adverse events in individual lives. Not only can it cause psychological distress but violence survivors suffer from a range of long-term adverse health outcomes, including higher morbidity, higher mortality, and higher risk of chronic diseases. Epigenetics may be involved in the determinisms of these long-term detrimental effects.

Unexplained infertility and age-related infertility: indistinguishable diagnostic entities but different IVF prognosis.

Study Question: Is IVF indicated for couples with age-related infertility?

Summary Answer: IVF may be of doubtful utility for age-related infertility.

What Is Known Already: A diagnosis of unexplained infertility is drawn when the diagnostic work-up fails to identify any patent cause. Although typically managed uniformly, unexplained infertility is likely to comprise a wide range of conditions, including age-related infertility (at least in older women).

Return rate following a live birth obtained with ART: frequency and determinants.

Purpose: To understand how often couples return to ART centres for a second child.

Methods: Retrospective monocentric cohort study including women who had a first live birth with IVF. The primary objective was to assess the rate of those returning for a second child within five years of the previous pregnancy.

Impact of Endometrial Preparation on the Maternal and Fetal Cardiovascular Variables of the First Trimester Combined Screening Test.

The modality of endometrial preparation for the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos may influence maternal and fetal adaptation to pregnancy and could thus impact the results of the first trimester combined screening test. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study on singleton pregnancies achieved by embryo transfer of a single frozen-thawed blastocyst, comparing two different endometrial preparation protocols: natural cycle ( = 174) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) ( = 122). The primary outcome was the risk of preeclampsia at the first trimester combined screening test.

Endometriosis and IVF treatment outcomes: unpacking the process.

Advanced endometriosis is associated with a reduction of IVF success. Surgical damage to the ovarian reserve following the excision of endometriomas has been claimed as a critical factor in the explanation of this detrimental effect. However, it is generally inferred that other mechanisms might also hamper IVF success in affected women.

Endometriosis increases the risk of gestational diabetes: a meta-analysis stratified by mode of conception, disease localization and severity.

To review the current evidence on the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women with endometriosis, taking into account relevant confounders such as the higher frequency of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) conceptions. Database searches on PubMed, Medline, Embase and Scopus through June 2022, using combinations of relevant keywords. A total of 18 studies, involving N = 4,600,885 women, were included.

ART and the forgotten siblings: a call for research.

A broader definition of infertility is the incapacity to have the intended number of children. However, most literature on ART exclusively focuses on live birth as an outcome, rather than on the capacity to fully realize the reproductive wishes of the couples. This issue has probably received scant attention because the total fertility rate is below replacement levels in affluent countries, and one may simplistically assume that only a minority of couples may be interested in more than one child.

Epigenetic clocks and female fertility timeline: A new approach to an old issue?

Worldwide increase in life expectancy has boosted research on aging. Overcoming the concept of chronological age, higher attention has been addressed to biological age, which reflects a person's real health state, and which may be the resulting combination of both intrinsic and environmental factors. As epigenetics may exert a pivotal role in the biological aging, epigenetic clocks were developed.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on alcohol consumption and risk of endometriosis: an update from 2012.

Endometriosis is a complex and chronic disease, whose multifactorial nature has encouraged a deep investigation on the role of lifestyle factors. A strong association between alcohol intake and endometriosis risk has already been shown. We aimed to confirm this association, considering the updated literature.

Peripheral mitochondrial DNA, telomere length and DNA methylation as predictors of live birth in in vitro fertilization cycles.

Objective: To evaluate whether telomere length (TL), mitochondrial-DNA (mt-DNA) or epigenetic age estimators based on DNA methylation (DNAm) pattern could be considered reliable predictors of in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) success in terms of live birth rate.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Infertility Unit of the Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico.

Genetics and Inflammation in Endometriosis: Improving Knowledge for Development of New Pharmacological Strategies.

According to a rich body of literature, immune cell dysfunctions, both locally and systemically, and an inflammatory environment characterize all forms of endometriosis. Alterations in transcripts and proteins involved in the recruitment of immune cells, in the interaction between cytokines and their receptors, cellular adhesion and apoptosis have been demonstrated in endometriotic lesions. The objective of this narrative review is to provide an overview of the components and mechanisms at the intersection between inflammation and genetics that may constitute vanguard therapeutic approaches in endometriosis.

Endometrial preparation does not affect the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in low-risk women undergoing frozen embryo transfer.

Objective: Frozen embryo transfer (FET) is associated with a higher risk of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effect of different protocols of endometrial preparation on the risk of these disorders.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 594 singleton pregnancies achieved by embryo transfer of single frozen-thawed blastocysts.

Clinical relevance of SARS-CoV-2 infection in late pregnancy.

Background: Evidence on the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy is generally reassuring but yet not definitive.

Methods: To specifically assess the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in late pregnancy, we prospectively recruited 315 consecutive women delivering in a referral hospital located in Lombardy, Italy in the early phase of the epidemic. Restriction of the recruitment to this peculiar historical time period allowed to exclude infections occurring early in pregnancy and to limit the recall bias.

Inflammatory biomarkers in pregnant women with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic viral disease affecting also obstetric patients and uncertainties exist about the prognostic role of inflammatory biomarkers and hemocytometry values in patients with this infection. To clarify that, we have assessed the values of several inflammatory biomarkers and hemocytometry variables in a cohort of obstetric patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and we have correlated the values at admission with the need of oxygen supplementation during the hospitalization. Overall, among 62 (27.

Fibroids and natural fertility: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Available evidence from IVF studies supports a detrimental effect of submucosal and intramural fibroids on embryo implantation. It is misleading, however, to infer evidence obtained in IVF settings to natural fertility. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on the effect of fibroids on natural fertility.

CMR for Identifying the Substrate of Ventricular Arrhythmia in Patients With Normal Echocardiography.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) may identify structural heart disease (SHD) in patients with ventricular arrhythmia who had echocardiography ruled out pathological findings.

Background: Approximately one-half of sudden cardiac deaths are attributable to malignant VA. Echocardiography is commonly used to identify SHD that is the most frequent substrate of VA.

Plaque quantification by coronary computed tomography angiography using intravascular ultrasound as a reference standard: a comparison between standard and last generation computed tomography scanners.

Aims: The emerging role of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as a non-invasive tool for atherosclerosis evaluation is supported by data reporting a good correlation between CCTA and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for plaque volume quantification. Aim of the present study was to evaluate whether a last generation CT-scanner may improve coronary plaque volume assessment using IVUS as standard-of-reference.

Methods And Results: From a registry of 1915 consecutive, all-comers, patients who underwent a clinically indicated IVUS evaluation we enrolled 59 patients who underwent CCTA with a 64-slice CT (Group 1) and 59 patients who underwent CCTA with whole-heart coverage CT scanner (Group 2).