Current status of assisted reproductive technology in Korea, 2009.

Great advances have been made in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART) since the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby was born in Korea in the year of 1985. However, it deserve to say that the invaluable data from fertility centers may serve as a useful source to find out which factors affect successful IVF outcome and to offer applicable information to infertile patients and fertility clinics. This article intended to report the status of ART in 2009 Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology surveyed.

Juvenile cystic adenomyoma in a 19-year-old woman: a case report with a proposal for new diagnostic criteria.

We report a case of a cystic adenomyoma in a 19-year-old nullipara who presented with severe dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging showed a 3-cm well-circumscribed mass with a 2.1-cm cystic cavity in the myometrium of the left fundus.

Clinical significance of serum albumin level in pregnancy-related hypertension.

Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of serum albumin level as a marker of severity in pregnancy-related hypertension.

Methods: Of 454 patients with pregnancy-related hypertension who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between May 1999 and April 2008, the medical records and laboratory tests of 354 patients who met the inclusion criteria for the current study were reviewed. A comparison of the characteristics of each hypertension group and the correlation between serum albumin levels and the time to delivery, 24-h urine protein, and/or pregnancy outcomes were statistically analyzed using SPSS 12.

Effect of different ingredients in traditional Korean medicine for human uterine leiomyoma on normal myometrial and leiomyomal smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Crude water extracts of 13 traditional Korean medicinal ingredients used for leiomyomal treatment were prepared and used to treat human uterine normal myometrial and leiomyomal cell cultures. All the ingredients inhibited proliferation and altered the morphology of both myometrial and leiomyomal cells. Among the 13 ingredients, n-hexane-, chloroform-, and ethylacetate-soluble fractions were extracted from seven ingredients that potently inhibited cell proliferation in their water extract form.

Relationship between the length of the uterine cavity and clinical pregnancy rates after in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

In this prospective clinical study involving 354 IVF-intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles, we determined the influence of the length of the uterine cavity on clinical pregnancy rates. Our data showed that clinical pregnancy and implantation rates are associated positively with an increased length of the uterine cavity.

Umbilical cord blood amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels according to the mode of delivery.

Purpose: To evaluate cord blood amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels according to the mode of delivery.

Method: Between 1 March and 31 May 2007, 106 blood samples were drawn from the umbilical vein at the time of delivery. Eighty-four NT-proBNP levels [63 term (34 cesarean sections and 29 vaginal deliveries) and 21 preterm births] were analyzed with respect to gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, newborn gender, and cord blood pH.

Effects of isolating methods (mechanical or enzymatical) on structure of pre-antral follicles in mouse.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the stable and effective isolating method of pre-antral follicles from ovary by means of mechanical or enzymatical method in mice.

Methods: Mouse (ICR, 3-4 weeks old) ovarian pre-antral follicles of 70-130 microm (A: < or = 90; B: 91-110; C: 111-130 microm) in diameter were isolated by mechanical method (group I) using syringe needles or by enzymatical method (group II) using 600 IU collagenase and DNase and cultured individually in 20 microL droplet of media under mineral oil on culture dish for 8 days.

Results: On 8th day after culture, disruption rate (84.