Combined hysteroscopic findings and 3-dimensional reconstructed coronal view of the uterus to avoid laparoscopic assessment for inpatient hysteroscopic metroplasty: pilot study.

Study Objective: To assess the use of 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructed coronal view of the uterus and intraoperative hysteroscopic findings to avoid diagnostic laparoscopy during inpatient hysteroscopic metroplasty.

Design: Pilot study (Canadian Task Force classification II).

Setting: University hospital infertility clinic.

Relevance of arginines in the mode of binding of H1 histones to DNA.

The mode of binding of sperm and somatic H1 histones to DNA has been investigated by analyzing the effect of their addition on the electrophoretic mobility of linear and circular plasmid molecules. Low concentrations of sperm histones do not appear to alter the electrophoretic mobility of DNA, whereas at increasing concentrations, an additional DNA band is observed near the migration origin. This band then becomes the only component at higher values.

Leptin concentrations in the peritoneal fluid of women with ovarian endometriosis are different according to the presence of a 'deep' or 'superficial' ovarian disease.

Some studies have suggested a possible role of leptin, an active cytokine produced by adipocytes, in the pathogenesis of pelvic endometriosis. The present study was designed to assess leptin levels in the peritoneal fluid (PF) of women with the 'deep' or 'superficial' types of ovarian endometriosis. Twenty-seven women with a single ovarian endometrioma having a mean diameter between 3 and 5 cm were included in the study.

Self-association of Chaetopterus variopedatus sperm histone H1-like. Relevance of arginine content and possible physiological role.

Self-association of histones H1 from calf thymus and from sperm of the marine worm Chaetopterus variopedatus was studied on native and glutaraldehyde cross-linked molecules by PAGE and by salt-induced turbidity measurements. Multiple polymers were generated by native sperm histone H1-like after glutaraldehyde cross-linking while the same treatment on its lysine- or arginine-modified derivatives and on somatic histone H1 failed to induce polymerization. This result suggests the relevance of arginine content in the formation of histone H1-like polymers particularly because Chaetopterus variopedatus and calf thymus histones H1 have similar content of lysine but different K/R ratio (2 and 15, respectively).

Compliance and diagnostic efficacy of mini-hysteroscopy versus traditional hysteroscopy in infertility investigation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare traditional hysteroscopy with mini-hysteroscopy in terms of compliance, side effects and diagnostic efficacy.

Study Design: We prospectively considered 950 female candidates for an IVF programme. All women underwent outpatient hysteroscopy; in 602 cases (Group A) a mini-hysteroscope was employed; in 348 women (Group B) a 5-mm hysteroscope was adopted.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist plus recombinant luteinizing hormone vs. a standard GnRH agonist short protocol in patients at risk for poor ovarian response.

Various studies have compared the efficacy of GnRH agonists (GnRH-a) and antagonists (GnRH-ant) for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in women undergoing IVF. Nevertheless, few data are available about the use of GnRH-ant in poor responders. Here, a flexible protocol providing a gradual increase in the dose of GnRH-ant in association with recombinant LH (rec-LH) administration is compared with the standard GnRH-a flare-up protocol in 133 women at risk for poor ovarian response.