Correction: PreImplantation factor (PIF) protects cultured embryos against oxidative stress: relevance for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) therapy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16028.

PreImplantation factor (PIF) protects cultured embryos against oxidative stress: relevance for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) therapy.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) affects 2-3% of couples. Despite a detailed work-up, the etiology is frequently undefined, leading to non-targeted therapy. Viable embryos and placentae express PreImplantation Factor (PIF).

Nonlinear diffusion model for annealed proton-exchanged waveguides in zirconium-doped lithium niobate.

Photorefractive-damage- (PRD) resistant zirconium-oxide-doped lithium niobate is investigated as a substrate for the realization of annealed proton-exchanged (APE) waveguides. Its advantages are a favorable distribution coefficient, PRD resistance comparable to magnesium-oxide-doped lithium niobate, and a proton-diffusion behavior resembling congruent lithium niobate. A 1D model for APE waveguides was developed based on a previous model for congruently melting lithium niobate.

PreImplantation factor (PIF) detection in maternal circulation in early pregnancy correlates with live birth (bovine model).

Background: Early identification of viable pregnancy is paramount for successful reproduction. Detection of specific signals from pre-implantation viable embryos in normal pregnancy circulation would indicate initiation of embryo-maternal interaction and create a continuum to accurately reflect embryo/fetal well-being post-implantation. Viable mammalian embryos secrete PreImplantation Factor (PIF), a biomarker which plays key, multi-targeted roles to promote implantation, trophoblast invasion and modulate maternal innate and adaptive immunity toward acceptance.

Preimplantation factor inhibits circulating natural killer cell cytotoxicity and reduces CD69 expression: implications for recurrent pregnancy loss therapy.

Embryo-secreted preimplantation factor (PIF) is necessary for, and its concentration correlates with, embryo development in humans by promoting implantation and trophoblast invasion. Synthetic PIF (sPIF) modulates systemic immunity and is effective in autoimmune disease models. sPIF binds monocytes and activated T and B cells, leading to immune tolerance without suppression.

PreImplantation Factor (PIF) orchestrates systemic antiinflammatory response by immune cells: effect on peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Objective: Embryo-derived PreImplantation Factor (PIF) is essential for pregnancy immune modulation and synthetic PIF (sPIF), reverses neuroinflammation, and prevents diabetes mellitus through its immune modulatory properties. Herein, we explore sPIF's systemic effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).

Study Design: sPIF's effects on PBMCs and subset populations from nonpregnant patients (n = 7) and male patients were evaluated by the assessment of binding characteristics, mixed lymphocyte reaction, proliferation, cytokine secretion, and associated gene expression.

Preimplantation factor negates embryo toxicity and promotes embryo development in culture.

Preimplantation factor (PIF) is secreted by viable mammalian embryos and promotes implantation and trophoblast invasion. Whether PIF also has a direct protective or promoting effect on the developing embryo in culture is unknown. This study examined the protective effects of synthetic PIF (sPIF) on embryos cultured with embryo toxic serum (ETS) from recurrent pregnancy loss patients (n=14), by morphological criteria at 72 h of culture, and determined sPIF-promoting effect on singly cultured bovine IVF embryo development.

PreImplantation Factor (PIF) correlates with early mammalian embryo development-bovine and murine models.

Background: PreImplantation Factor (PIF), a novel peptide secreted by viable embryos is essential for pregnancy: PIF modulates local immunity, promotes decidual pro-adhesion molecules and enhances trophoblast invasion. To determine the role of PIF in post-fertilization embryo development, we measured the peptide's concentration in the culture medium and tested endogenous PIF's potential trophic effects and direct interaction with the embryo.

Methods: Determine PIF levels in culture medium of multiple mouse and single bovine embryos cultured up to the blastocyst stage using PIF-ELISA.

Prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies among women experiencing unexplained infertility and recurrent implantation failure.

The prevalences of antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) among 1,325 women with a history of unexplained infertility and 676 women experiencing recurrent implantation failure were compared with 789 women experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss and 205 fertile control women. Eight percent and 9% of women with a history of unexplained infertility and recurrent implantation failure had more than one positive APA compared with 1.5% of fertile negative control women and 11% of positive control women experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss.

Correlation between neutral alpha-glucosidase activity and sperm DNA fragmentation.

To evaluate the association between neutral alpha-glucosidase (NAG) activity and sperm DNA fragmentation (DFI), ejaculates from 24 men undergoing evaluation for sperm DNA damage as a part of infertility assessment were analysed. The mean +/- SD and range for the semen quality of the 24 ejaculates are as follows: volume (3.1 +/- 1.

How to predict implantation? No correlation between embryonic aneuploidy and soluble human leukocyte antigen G-concentrations.

Objective: To determine if soluble human leukocyte antigen-G (sHLA-G) concentrations in spent culture media may assist in identifying the normal embryo for implantation.

Design: Prospective blinded comparative study.

Setting: Reproductive genetic and reproductive medicine centers.

Duration of intralipid's suppressive effect on NK cell's functional activity.

Background: In vitro investigations have revealed the ability of intralipids to suppress natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity. Evidence from both animal and human studies suggests that intralipid administered intravenously may enhance implantation and maintenance of pregnancy when the patient has an abnormal NK cell level or function.

Problem: The aim of this study was to establish the duration and efficacy of Intralipids suppressive effect on NK cell functional activity.

Association of progesterone receptor polymorphisms with recurrent implantation failure after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

Introduction: Progesterone is the hormone of pregnancy and is required for its initiation. The actions of progesterone are mediated by the progesterone receptor. Polymorphic variants of human progesterone receptor genes have been implicated in implantation failure.

Optical-frequency balanced mixer.

Optical signal processing devices based on quasi-phase-matched three-wave mixing and cascaded three-wave mixing in guided-wave geometries have been demonstrated to operate efficiently at practical pump-power levels. We describe operation of such devices in a balanced mode that allows mixing without wavelength offset and separation of mixed output from pump and signal input without wavelength-selective filters. We present a design for an optical-frequency balanced mixer using quasi-phase-matched, cascaded second-order nonlinear processes.

Highly efficient second-harmonic generation in buried waveguides formed by annealed and reverse proton exchange in periodically poled lithium niobate.

Efficient three-wave mixing devices have numerous applications, including wavelength conversion, dispersion compensation, and all-optical switching. Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is a useful diagnostic for near-degenerate operation of these devices. With buried waveguides formed in periodically poled lithium niobate by annealed and reverse proton exchange, we demonstrate what is believed to be the highest normalized conversion efficiency (150%/W cm(2)) for SHG in the 1550-nm communications band reported to date.

Observation of 99% pump depletion in single-pass second-harmonic generation in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide.

We report 99% pump depletion in single-pass second-harmonic generation. Quasi-cw pulses at 1550 nm were frequency doubled in an annealed proton-exchanged waveguide formed in periodically poled lithium niobate. Measurements of pump depletion and second-harmonic generation agree with results from numerical integration of the coupled-mode equations that describe the process.

HLA-G and its role in implantation (review).

Background: Human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G) is thought to play a key role in implantation by modulating cytokine secretion to control trophopblastic cell invasion and to maintain a local immunotolerance.

Method Of Study: The literature is reviewed to provide a description of the genetic background, properties of the protein, and the function of HLA-G. Data are presented on potential clinical applications of HLA-G including the use of evaluation of HLA-G gene polymorphisms in the diagnosis of patients experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss and evaluation and testing of soluble HLA-G (sHLA-G) in embryo culture media for the selection of embryos for transfer after in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Natural killer cell functional activity suppression by intravenous immunoglobulin, intralipid and soluble human leukocyte antigen-G.

Problem: The purpose of this study was to compare the ability of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), intralipid and soluble human leukocyte antigen (sHLA)-G to suppress natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity in an in vitro assay.

Method Of Study: Blood samples taken from 275 women experiencing reproductive failure were analyzed for NK cytotoxicity and the suppression of NK cytotoxicity by IVIg 4 and 2 mg/mL (n = 275), intralipid 18 and 9 mg/mL (n = 275) and sHLA-G 70 and 35 ng/mL (n = 50) using immunofluorescent labeled K562 cells as targets and flow cytometry.

Results: Natural killer cytotoxicity was suppressed in all samples.

Sensing and compensation of femtosecond waveform distortion induced by all-order polarization mode dispersion at selected polarization states.

We demonstrate full characterization of femtosecond pulse distortion induced by all-order polarization mode dispersion (PMD) at selected polarization states via second-harmonic generation (SHG) frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) measurements at an average power of under 28 nW. By applying the inverse of the measured spectral phase via a programmable pulse shaper, we compress the distorted pulses from more than 3 ps to nearly bandwidth-limited durations of less than 500 fs. Our results show that SHG FROG measurements performed by using fiber-pigtailed aperiodically poled lithium niobate waveguides can serve as a robust and sensitive tool for characterization of PMD-induced spectral phase.

Polarization-insensitive ultralow-power second-harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating.

We demonstrate polarization-insensitive ultralow-power second-harmonic generation frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) measurements with a fiber-pigtailed, aperiodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. By scrambling the polarization much faster than the measurement integration time, we eliminate the impairment that frequency-independent random polarization fluctuations induce in FROG measurements. As a result we are able to retrieve intensity and phase profiles of few hundred femtosecond optical pulses with 50 MHz repetition rates at 5.

Which thrombophilic gene mutations are risk factors for recurrent pregnancy loss?

Problem: Thrombophilia has been associated with poor obstetrical outcomes. To determine the association of specific inherited thrombophilias and recurrent pregnancy loss, 10 thrombophilic genes were investigated.

Method Of Study: A total of 550 women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss had buccal swabs taken for DNA analyses of the following gene mutations: factor V G1691A, factor V H1299R (R2), factor V Y1702C, factor II prothrombin G20210A, factor XIII V34L, beta-fibrinogen -455G>A, PAI-1 4G/5G, HPA1 a/b(L33P), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, MTHFR A1298C.

Multiple thrombophilic gene mutations rather than specific gene mutations are risk factors for recurrent miscarriage.

Problem: Recurrent miscarriage is a heterogeneous condition. While the role of acquired thrombophilia has been accepted as an etiology of recurrent miscarriage, the contribution of specific inherited thrombophilic genes to this disorder has remained controversial. We compared the prevalence of 10 thrombophilic gene mutations among women with a history of recurrent miscarriages and fertile control women.

Amplitude modulation and apodization of quasiphase-matched interactions.

We propose several techniques to modulate the local amplitude of quasi-phase-matched (QPM) interactions in periodically poled lithium niobate waveguides and demonstrate apodization by using each of these techniques. When the hard edges are removed in the spatial profile of the nonlinear coupling, the sidelobes of the frequency tuning curves are suppressed by 13 dB or more, compared with a uniform grating, consistent with theoretical predictions. The sidelobe-suppressed gratings are useful for frequency conversion devices in optical communication systems to minimize interchannel cross talk, while the amplitude modulation techniques in general have potential uses in applications that require altering the tuning curve shapes.

Multiple thrombophilic gene mutations are risk factors for implantation failure.

While the role of inherited thrombophilia has been accepted as a cause of recurrent late pregnancy complications, the contribution of mutated thrombophilic genes to implantation failure has not been studied. Proteins involved in fibrinolysis are necessary for trophoblast invasion into the endometrium. This study compared the prevalence of 10 thrombophilic gene mutations among 42 women with a history of recurrent implantation failure after IVF-embryo transfer with 20 fertile control women.