Sperm cryopreservation in adolescents with cancer.

Objective: To evaluate whether sperm banking is under-used in adolescents with cancer.

Study Design: We reviewed our 33 years long experience of semen cryopreservation and identified male subjects with cancer aged 14-21 years who banked their sperm. We hypothesized as a referring model a constant rate of referral in every age category (uniform distribution).

Oral Vitamin D supplementation impacts gene expression in granulosa cells in women undergoing IVF.

Study Question: Does oral Vitamin D supplementation alter the hormonal milieu of follicular fluid (FF) and the transcriptomic profile of luteinised granulosa cells (GCs) in women with Vitamin D deficiency undergoing IVF?

Summary Answer: A transcriptomic signature relevant to oral Vitamin D supplementation in luteinised GCs was demonstrated, although Vitamin D supplementation did not alter hormone levels in FF.

What Is Known Already: Vitamin D deficiency is linked to lower live birth rates among women undergoing IVF. It is unclear whether Vitamin D elicits a targeted action in reproductive physiology or is a surrogate marker of overall well-being.

ALADDIN study: does assisted hatching of vitrified/warmed blastocysts improve live birth rate? Protocol for a multicentric randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Recent data suggest a higher clinical pregnancy rate performing assisted hatching (AH) on previously cryopreserved embryos but fail to demonstrate significant effects on live birth rate. However, current evidence is based on studies with a small sample size and may hide a type II error. Moreover, poor attention has been given to the specific effect of AH on frozen/thawed blastocysts.

The presence of dominant follicles and corpora lutea does not perturb response to controlled ovarian stimulation in random start protocols.

The advent of random start protocols to shorten the time needed to store oocytes in women with malignancies has represented an important improvement in the field of fertility preservation. However, Randomized Controlled Trials are difficult to implement in this area and available evidence that supports this approach remains modest. To shed more light on this issue, we compared the follicular development between the ovary carrying the dominant follicle or the corpus luteum and the contralateral resting ovary in 90 women who underwent random start controlled ovarian stimulation (COS).

Clinical comparison between conventional and microdissection testicular sperm extraction for non-obstructive azoospermia: Understanding which treatment works for which patient.

Objectives: The superiority of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) over conventional TESE (cTESE) for men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is debated. We aimed to compare the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) of mTESE to cTESE and to identify candidates who would most benefit from mTESE in a cohort of Caucasian-European men with primary couple's infertility.

Material And Methods: Data from 49 mTESE and 96 cTESE patients were analysed.

Frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer in natural cycle: feasibility in everyday clinical practice.

Purpose: Transfer of frozen-thawed embryos in natural cycle is gaining consensus but evidence on this approach is scanty. The aim of this study is reporting on the feasibility of this type of policy in everyday clinical practice.

Methods: We retrospectively selected all women undergoing the procedure between July 2013 and December 2014.

Obstetric and neo-natal outcomes of ICSI cycles using pentoxifylline to identify viable spermatozoa in patients with immotile spermatozoa.

Pentoxifylline (PF) represents an effective tool in stimulating motility and identifying viable spermatozoa in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) patients presenting exclusively with immotile spermatozoa. However, its use is not universally accepted for its possible detrimental effects on oocytes, embryos or newborns. To evaluate whether PF use may affect obstetrical/neo-natal outcomes, 102 patients achieving a clinical pregnancy after a PF-ICSI in four IVF units in Spain and Italy were followed up after delivery.

Application of failure mode and effect analysis in an assisted reproduction technology laboratory.

Assisted reproduction technology laboratories have a very high degree of complexity. Mismatches of gametes or embryos can occur, with catastrophic consequences for patients. To minimize the risk of error, a multi-institutional working group applied failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to each critical activity/step as a method of risk assessment.

The impact of Alpha/ESHRE consensus regarding oocytes with aggregates of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SERa) on in vitro fertilization outcome.

Purpose: The present study aimed to gather information on the impact of Alpha/European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) consensus regarding oocytes with aggregates of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SERa) on in vitro fertilization outcome. In particular, we investigated if patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and whose oocytes are discarded due to SERa have a higher chance of embryo transfer cancellation compared to patients without SERa oocytes.

Methods: This is a nested case-control study drawn from the cohort of women referring for in vitro fertilization with ICSI.

Intrafollicular iron and ferritin in women with ovarian endometriomas.

Objective: To evaluate whether iron contained in ovarian endometriomas can diffuse through the cyst wall and negatively affect ovarian function.

Design: Prospective case series.

Setting: Infertility unit in an academic setting.

Can we use incubators with atmospheric oxygen tension in the first phase of in vitro fertilization? A retrospective analysis.

Purpose: Aim of the present study was to compare two culture strategies used in our routine in vitro fertilization program.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis. Two culture systems were used in parallel and analysed retrospectively: 1) Use of atmospheric oxygen tension (~20 %) until insemination followed by use of low (~5 %) oxygen concentration; 2) Exclusive use of low oxygen concentration.

The strategy of group embryo culture based on pronuclear pattern on blastocyst development: a two center analysis.

Purpose: To compare two embryo grouping strategies.

Methods: Retrospective time-course analysis in two different centres. Two culture protocols were used at the zygote stage: "Random Group" in which zygotes were randomly grouped and "Definite Group" in which zygotes were grouped based on pronuclear pattern.

Ovarian endometriomas and oocyte quality: insights from in vitro fertilization cycles.

Objective: To evaluate whether the presence of endometriomas affects ovarian function.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Infertility unit of an academic setting.

Effects of two vitrification protocols on the developmental potential of human mature oocytes.

The aim of the present study was to compare an 'open' vitrification protocol to a 'closed' vitrification protocol for mature human oocytes. A prospective comparison between fresh and sibling vitrified oocytes and a retrospective comparison between the two vitrification protocols were performed. For recruited patients undergoing an IVF cycle, two or three fresh oocytes were inseminated with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the remaining three or more oocytes were vitrified according to manufacturer's instructions with a 'closed' or an 'open' vitrification system.

Developmental potential of human oocytes after slow freezing or vitrification: a randomized in vitro study based on parthenogenesis.

The aim of the this study was to compare the in vitro developmental competence of parthenogenetically activated oocytes cryopreserved with slow-freezing or vitrification. Supernumerary metaphase II oocytes obtained during in vitro fertilization procedures were randomized to slow freezing or vitrification procedure. After thawing or devitrification, oocytes were parthenogenetically activated and cultured.

In vitro development of human oocytes after parthenogenetic activation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Objective: To compare directly in vitro developmental competence between parthenogenetically activated and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-fertilized oocytes.

Design: For each patient, three metaphase II oocytes were randomized to the ICSI procedure, while n-3 were allocated to parthenogenetic activation.

Setting: University hospital infertility unit.

Follicular fluid levels of the long pentraxin PTX3.

Objective: Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is a long pentraxin that plays a key role in female fertility as a structural and essential constituent of the cumulus oophorus extracellular matrix. Despite considerable evidence supporting this role of PTX3 in mice, data in humans are scanty. The aim of the present study was (1) to evaluate follicular fluid concentrations of PTX3; (2) to test the hypothesis that levels of the molecule correlate with oocyte characteristics (corona radiata, aspect of the cumulus, nuclear maturity, and fertilization); and (3) to evaluate the possibility that peripheral concentration of PTX3 may be of clinical help in monitoring ovarian hyperstimulation.

Damage to ovarian reserve associated with laparoscopic excision of endometriomas: a quantitative rather than a qualitative injury.

Objective: Retrospective studies suggest that laparoscopic excision of endometriomas is associated with a reduced responsiveness to ovarian hyperstimulation. In this study, we prospectively evaluated ovarian response to hyperstimulation in women selected for in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles who previously underwent laparoscopic enucleation of a monolateral endometrioma.

Study Design: Operated and contralateral intact ovaries of the same patient were compared in terms of number of follicles, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, and rate of high-quality embryos.

Reproductive prognosis in male patients with azoospermia at the time of cancer diagnosis.

Objective: Fertility status evaluation in patients found azoospermic at the time of malignancy diagnosis.

Design: Case series follow-up.

Setting: University Hospital Sperm Banking service.

Sperm banking and rate of assisted reproduction treatment: insights from a 15-year cryopreservation program for male cancer patients.

Background: Semen cryostorage remains the only proven method to preserve fertility in men with cancer. However, the necessity and the justification of banking spermatozoa have been questioned because it has been reported that only a small percentage of patients are referred for assisted reproductive technologies using frozen semen.

Methods: A 15-year cryopreservation program involving 776 men with malignant diseases who were referred to the study institution for semen cryopreservation before proceeding with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy was reviewed.