The Antioxidant Auraptene Improves Aged Oocyte Quality and Embryo Development in Mice.

Decrease in quality of postovulatory aged oocytes occurs due to oxidative stress and leads to low fertilization and development competence. It is one of the main causes that exerting detrimental effect on the success rate in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Auraptene (AUR), a citrus coumarin, has been reported to possess an antioxidant effects in other tissues.

miR-4463 regulates aromatase expression and activity for 17β-estradiol synthesis in response to follicle-stimulating hormone.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate microRNAs (miRNAs) related to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) responsiveness using miRNA microarrays and to identify their target genes to determine the molecular regulatory pathways involved in FSH signaling in KGN cells.

Methods: To change the cellular responsiveness to FSH, KGN cells were treated with FSH receptor (FSHR)-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) followed by FSH. miRNA expression profiles were determined through miRNA microarray analysis.

The stimulation protocol in poor responder IVF; a minimal or high-dose stimulation? - A meta-analysis.

Background To determine whether a minimal stimulation (MS) or high-dose stimulation (HDS) protocol is a better option for patients classified as poor ovarian responders (POR) in terms of reproductive and pregnancy outcomes. Materials and methods A database search for evaluation of the study outcome by using meta-analysis method was carried out. The primary outcome was the clinical pregnancy (CP) rate for each of two groups, namely, the MS and HDS groups.

Decision making processes of women who seek elective oocyte cryopreservation.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze women's opinions and their decision making processes regarding elective oocyte cryopreservation (OC).

Methods: One hundred twenty-four women who had elective OC counseling at the CHA Seoul Fertility Center were asked to complete a survey after their first visit. Data collection regarding age, marital status, monthly income, occupation, religion, reproductive history, questions about the participant's view on their own fecundity, and future parenthood were included.

Can high serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels predict the phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and metabolic disturbances in PCOS patients?

Objective: To evaluate correlations between serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, phenotypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), obesity, and metabolic parameters in patients with PCOS.

Methods: A total of 175 patients with PCOS were diagnosed according to the Rotterdam Consensus were included. Exclusion criteria were age over 40, FSH>25 mIU/mL, and 17a-OHP>1.

The effectiveness of earlier oocyte retrieval in the case of a premature luteinizing hormone surge on hCG day in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer cycles.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of earlier oocyte retrieval in IVF patients with a premature LH surge on hCG day.

Methods: One hundred forty IVF patients (164 cycles) with premature LH surge on hCG day were included, retrospectively. We divided them into 2 study groups: LH surge with timed ovum pick-up (OPU) 36 hours after hCG injection (group B, 129 premature cycles), and LH surge with earlier OPU within 36 hours after hCG injection (group C, 35 cycles).

Comparison of assisted reproductive technology outcomes in infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome: In vitro maturation, GnRH agonist, and GnRH antagonist cycles.

Objective: We compared the assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes among infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) treated with IVM, conventional IVF, GnRH agonist, and GnRH antagonist cycles.

Methods: The prospective study included a total of 67 cycles in 61 infertile women with PCOS. The women with PCOS were randomized into three IVF protocols: IVM/IVF with FSH and hCG priming with immature oocyte retrieval 38 hours later (group A, 14 cycles), GnRH agonist long protocol (group B, 14 cycles), and GnRH antagonist multi-dose flexible protocol (group C, 39 cycles).

Blastocyst transfer in frozen-thawed cycles.

Objective: It is well known that fresh blastocyst transfer results in better pregnancy outcomes with a smaller number of transferred embryos compared with cleavage stage embryo transfer. However, in terms of frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer, only a few studies are available. We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) with blastocysts.

Duplication of intrachromosomal insertion segments 4q32→q35 confirmed by comparative genomic hybridization and fluorescent in situ hybridization.

A 35-year-old man with infertility was referred for chromosomal analysis. In routine cytogenetic analysis, the patient was seen to have additional material of unknown origin on the terminal region of the short arm of chromosome 4. To determine the origin of the unknown material, we carried out high-resolution banding, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and FISH.

Serum anti-Müllerian hormone is a better predictor of ovarian response than FSH and age in IVF patients with endometriosis.

Objective: To evaluate the ability of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), FSH, and age to clinically predict ovarian response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in IVF patients with endometriosis.

Methods: We evaluated 91 COH cycles, including 43 cycles with endometriosis (group I) and 48 cycles with male factor infertility (group II) from January to December, 2010. Patients were classified into study groups based on their surgical history of endometriosis-group Ia (without surgical history, n=16), group Ib (with a surgical history, n=27).

The role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism on the peripheral blood natural killer cell proportion in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages.

Objective: To examine the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and hyperhomocysteinemia in women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages (RM) and to investigate the association between MTHFR genotype variants and alloimmune activation, proportion of peripheral blood natural killer (pbNK) cells.

Methods: A total of 39 patients with a history of two or more unexplained miscarriages were recruited to this study. The controls were women who had a live birth without a history of RM (n=50).

Comparison of mild ovarian stimulation with conventional ovarian stimulation in poor responders.

Objective: To compare the IVF outcomes of mild ovarian stimulation with conventional ovarian stimulation in poor responders.

Methods: From 2004 to 2009, 389 IVF cycles in 285 women showed poor responses (defined as either a basal FSH level ≥12 mIU/mL, or the number of retrieved oocytes ≤3, or serum E(2) level on hCG day <500 pg/mL) were analyzed, retrospectively. In total, 119 cycles with mild ovarian stimulation (m-IVF) and 270 cycles with conventional ovarian stimulation (c-IVF) were included.

Serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels as a predictor of the ovarian response and IVF outcomes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels could be predict ovarian poor/hyper response and IVF cycle outcome.

Methods: Between May 2010 and January 2011, serum AMH levels were evaluated with retrospective analysis. Three hundred seventy infertile women undergoing 461 IVF cycles between the ages of 20 and 42 were studied.

Laparoscopic management of early primary peritoneal pregnancy: a case report.

Peritoneal pregnancy is an implantation in the peritoneal cavity exclusive of tubal, ovarian, or intra-ligamentary implantations. This is a rare obstetric complication with high maternal mortality and even higher perinatal mortality, and secondary type was most common. Risk factors for peritoneal pregnancy are previous history of extrauterine pregnancy or tubal surgery pelvic post-inflammatory status or presence of an intra-uterine device.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes with assisted reproductive technology in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case-control study.

Objective: To investigate adverse pregnancy outcomes in non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared with obese-PCOS and control groups.

Methods: Women with PCOS who underwent assisted reproductive technology (ART) from August, 2003 to December, 2007, were considered. A total of 336 women with PCOS were included in the study group and 1,003 infertile women who had tubal factor as an indication for ART were collected as controls.

Age specific serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels in 1,298 Korean women with regular menstruation.

Objective: To determine the age specific serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) reference values in Korean women with regular menstruation.

Methods: Between May, 2010 and January, 2011, the serum AMH levels were evaluated in a total of 1,298 women who have regular menstrual cycles aged between 20 and 50 years. Women were classified into 6 categories by age: 20-31 years, 32-34 years, 35-37 years, 38-40 years, 41-43 years, above 43 years.

Predictive value of sperm motility characteristics assessed by computer-assisted sperm analysis in intrauterine insemination with superovulation in couples with unexplained infertility.

Objective: To determine whether characteristics of sperm motility obtained by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) could predict pregnancy after intrauterine insemination (IUI) in couples with unexplained infertility.

Methods: Three hundred eighty-three cycles of intrauterine insemination with superovulation were retrospectively analyzed. Semen analysis was performed with CASA before and after swim-up and the parameters were compared between pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Does blastomere biopsy in preimplantation genetic diagnosis affect early serum β-hCG levels?

Objective: To determine whether the serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) profile following preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is lower than that of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Methods: A total of 129 PGD cycles and 1,161 age-matched ICSI cycles, which resulted in pregnancy (serum β-hCG≥5 mIU/mL) on post-ovulation day (POD) 12 were included. We compared the mean serum β-hCG levels on POD 12, 14, 21, and 28, doubling time of serum hCG, and created a cut-off value for predicting a singleton pregnancy in each group.

Clinical outcomes of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and analysis of meiotic segregation modes in reciprocal translocation carriers.

Balanced reciprocal translocation is the most common chromosome rearrangement, with an incidence of 1 out of 625 newborns. In reciprocal translocation carriers, genetically unbalanced gametes can be produced through three principal modes of segregation: adjacent-1, adjacent-2 and 3:1. In this study, we reviewed 133 cycles of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for 65 couples with reciprocal translocation and analyzed pregnancy outcomes and the meiotic segregation mode of gametes of the translocation carriers using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).

Pregnancy outcome of women inadvertently exposed to ribostamycin during early pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.

No information is currently available on the safety of the aminoglycoside ribostamycin in pregnancy. We aimed to study the pregnancy outcome of women inadvertently exposed to ribostamycin during the first trimester of pregnancy. In a prospective cohort study, 102 women inadvertently exposed to ribostamycin during the first trimester of pregnancy and an age- and gravidity-matched control group, were enrolled.

Transcriptional profiling with a pathway-oriented analysis identifies dysregulated molecular phenotypes in the endometrium of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Context: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder characterized by chronic oligo/anovulation, hyperandrogenemia, infertility, and metabolic alterations related to insulin resistance. These abnormalities in PCOS may have complex effects on pathophysiology of the endometrium, contributing to infertility and endometrial disorders.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine dysregulated signaling pathways in the endometrium of patients with PCOS (PCOSE) by analyzing expression profiles with a pathway-oriented method.

Poor sperm quality affects clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in fresh and subsequent frozen-thawed cycles: potential paternal effects on pregnancy outcomes.

Objective: To evaluate objectively whether poor sperm quality affects sequential events from fertilization to delivery in fresh intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and subsequent frozen-thawed embryo transfer (ET) cycles.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: University-based centers for reproductive medicine.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency by simultaneous analysis of duplex-nested PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization: a case report.

Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is an X-linked co-dominant disorder. A couple, with a previous history of a neonatal death and a therapeutical termination due to OTC deficiency, was referred to our center for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The female partner has a nonsense mutation in the exon 9 of the OTC gene (R320X).

Single nucleotide polymorphisms and haplotypes of the genes encoding the CYP1B1 in Korean women: no association with advanced endometriosis.

Objective: To investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms and its haplotypes of gene encoding CYP1B1 are associated with the risk of advanced endometriosis in Korean women.

Methods: We investigated 221 patients with histopathologically confirmed endometriosis rAFS stage III/IV and 188 control group women who were surgically proven to have no endometriosis. The genetic distribution of four different CYP1B1 polymorphisms at Ala119Ser, Leu432Val, Asp(449)(C>T), Asn453Ser were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism of PCR products.

Exposure to amlodipine in the first trimester of pregnancy and during breastfeeding.

Objective: To assess the fetal outcome of three hypertensive women exposed to amlodipine. 5 mg/day, in the first trimester of pregnancy. CASE 1: The patient was treated with amlodipine until 7 weeks of gestation.