Midluteal serum estradiol levels are associated with live birth rates in hormone replacement therapy frozen embryo transfer cycles: a cohort study.

Objective: To study whether midluteal serum estradiol (E2) levels are associated with the live birth rate in hormone replacement therapy frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles in patients with optimal midluteal serum progesterone (P4) levels.

Design: Observational prospective cohort study.

Setting: Public fertility clinic.

Recombinant gonadotropin therapy to improve spermatogenesis in nonobstructive azoospermic patients - A proof of concept study.

Purpose: Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) associated with primary spermatogenic failure is a common cause of male infertility usually considered untreatable; however, some reports have suggested that hormonal stimulation to boost the intra-testicular testosterone level and spermatogenesis might increase the chance of achieving pregnancy using homologous sperm.

Materials And Methods: We report a series of eight NOA males who received long-term treatment with recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin twice a week for spermatogenesis stimulation. Six males received additional recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) supplementation 150-225 IU twice weekly.

GnRH agonist supplementation in hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer cycles: a randomized controlled trial.

Research Question: Will two boluses of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) during hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles reduce the total pregnancy loss rate?

Design: Randomized controlled trial including a total of 287 HRT-FET cycles performed between 2013 and 2019. After randomization participants allocated to the GnRHa group (n = 144) underwent a standard HRT protocol, supplemented with a total of two boluses of triptorelin 0.1 mg; one bolus 2 days before starting vaginal progesterone and one bolus on the 7th day of progesterone.

The combined effect of lifestyle intervention and antioxidant therapy on sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal oxidative stress in IVF patients: a pilot study.

Purpose: Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and seminal oxidative stress are emerging measurable factors in male factor infertility, which interventions could potentially reduce. We evaluated (i) the impact of lifestyle changes combined with oral antioxidant intake on sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and static oxidation-reduction potential (sORP), and (ii) the correlation between DFI and sORP.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective study involving 93 infertile males with a history of failed IVF/ICSI.

The exogenous progesterone-free luteal phase: two pilot randomized controlled trials in IVF patients.

Research Question: Is the reproductive outcome similar after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) trigger followed by luteal human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) boluses compared with HCG trigger and a standard luteal phase support (LPS)?

Design: Two open-label pilot randomized controlled trials (RCT) with 250 patients from 2014 to 2019, with a primary outcome of ongoing pregnancy per embryo transfer. Patients with ≤13 follicles on the trigger day were randomized (RCT 1) to: Group A (n = 65): GnRHa trigger followed by a bolus of 1500 IU HCG s.c.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and repercussions for male infertility patients: A proposal for the individualized provision of andrological services.

The prolonged lockdown of health facilities providing non-urgent gamete cryopreservation-as currently recommended by many reproductive medicine entities and regulatory authorities due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will be detrimental for subgroups of male infertility patients. We believe the existing recommendations should be promptly modified and propose that the same permissive approach for sperm banking granted for men with cancer is expanded to other groups of vulnerable patients. These groups include infertility patients (eg, azoospermic and cryptozoospermic) undergoing medical or surgical treatment to improve sperm quantity and quality, as well as males of reproductive age affected by inflammatory and systemic auto-immune diseases who are about to start treatment with gonadotoxic drugs or who are under remission.

Dual stimulation using corifollitropin alfa in 54 Bologna criteria poor ovarian responders - a case series.

Research Question: What are the reproductive outcomes of Bologna criteria poor responders undergoing dual stimulation (DuoStim) and subsequent cryopreserved embryo transfer?

Design: Case series of patients treated during the period August 2015 to March 2018 in a public fertility clinic. The study included 54 Bologna criteria poor responder IVF patients younger than 42 years receiving a follicular stimulation (DuoStim 1) followed by a luteal phase stimulation (DuoStim 2) within the same cycle, both stimulations being performed with corifollitropin alfa followed by a subsequent cryopreserved embryo transfer cycle. The primary endpoint was the number of oocytes retrieved in DuoStim 1 compared with DuoStim 2.

Vaginal Microbiota and In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes: Development of a Simple Diagnostic Tool to Predict Patients at Risk of a Poor Reproductive Outcome.

Background: Female reproductive tract microbiota may affect human reproduction. The current study considered whether a more detailed characterization of the vaginal microbiota could improve prediction of risk of poor reproductive outcome in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Methods: Vaginal samples from 120 patients undergoing IVF were sequenced using the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene with clustering of Gardnerella vaginalis genomic clades.

Progesterone levels on pregnancy test day after hormone replacement therapy-cryopreserved embryo transfer cycles and related reproductive outcomes.

Research Question: Do serum progesterone levels determine ongoing pregnancy rates (OPR) in hormone replacement therapy frozen-thawed embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles?

Design: A cohort study of 244 HRT-FET cycles from a Danish public fertility centre. Data from patients undergoing HRT-FET from January 2016 to December 2017 were extracted from a clinical database. All patients had transfer in HRT cycles of autologous embryos frozen on day 5 or 6.

Treatment of Abnormal Vaginal Microbiota before Frozen Embryo Transfer: Case-Report and Minireview to Discuss the Longitudinal Treatment Efficacy of Oral Clindamycin.

Abnormal vaginal microbiota (AVM) or bacterial vaginosis (BV) might negatively impact reproductive outcomes of fertilization (IVF). However, before randomized controlled trials are initiated to investigate cause and effect, it is necessary to establish the optimal treatment for AVM. Metronidazole seems ineffective to treat the biofilm in AVM; thus, clindamycin could be suggested as a relevant antibiotic agent for future intervention based studies.

Bio-equivalent doses of recombinant HCG and recombinant LH during ovarian stimulation result in similar oestradiol output: a randomized controlled study.

In nature, HCG is secreted by the implanting embryo from peri-implantation and onwards. In contrast, LH is mandatory for steroidogenesis and follicular development during the follicular phase, working in synergy with FSH. Moreover, LH is mandatory for the function of the corpus luteum.

Pregnancy and birth after intracytoplasmic sperm injection with normal testicular spermatozoa in a patient with azoospermia and tail stump epididymal sperm.

An intriguing yet perplexing case report of a successful pregnancy and live birth with intracytoplasmic sperm injection using normal testicular sperm, after the finding of azoospermia in the semen analysis and discovering only tail stump abnormal sperm in the epididymis. Case hypothesis: A tail stump sperm defect of genetic origin was suspected. However, after obtaining normal testicular sperm we concluded that obstructive azoospermia, either idiopathic or secondary to multiple minor genital trauma was the plausible scenario.

Daily low-dose hCG stimulation during the luteal phase combined with GnRHa triggered IVF cycles without exogenous progesterone: a proof of concept trial.

Study Question: Can the luteal phase support be improved in terms of efficacy, hormonal profiles and convenience as compared with today's standard care?

Summary Answer: Daily low-dose rhCG supplementation in GnRHa triggered IVF cycles can replace the traditional used luteal phase support with exogenous progesterone.

What Is Known Already: A bolus of hCG for final maturation of follicles in connection with COS may induce the risk of OHSS and the luteal phase progesterone levels rise very abruptly in the early luteal phase.

Study Design, Size, Duration: This is a proof-of-concept study conducted as a three arm RCT with a total of 93 patients.