A complementary model for medical subspecialty training in South Africa.

The shortage of healthcare workers and doctors in the developing world compared with the developed world is problematic, and will continue to be so owing to the ongoing migration of qualified professionals and the inability of the state to remedy the shortfalls. This will seriously hamper the government's National Health Insurance plan and the sustainability of South Africa (SA)'s healthcare sector. Furthermore, it is well known that the duration of medical training in SA is exceptionally long, which discourages trainees.

The effect of the biochemical marker soluble human leukocyte antigen G on pregnancy outcome in assisted reproductive technology--a multicenter study.

Objective: To determine whether the presence of soluble human leukocyte antigen G (sHLA-G) affects implantation and pregnancy outcomes in vitro.

Design: A multicenter retrospective study.

Setting: Six certified in vitro fertilization (IVF) units.

Assisted reproductive technology in South Africa: first results generated from the South African Register of Assisted Reproductive Techniques.

Objective: We present the first report from the South African Register of Assisted Reproductive Techniques.

Methods: All assisted reproductive technology (ART) centres in South Africa were invited to join the register. Participant centres voluntarily submitted information from 2009 on the number of ART cycles, embryo transfers, clinical pregnancies, age of female partners or egg donors, and use of fertilisation techniques.

Semenology training programs: 8 years' experience.

Objective: To evaluate the immediate effect of hands-on training on the quality of technical skills of laboratory technicians.

Design: Retrospective analytical study.

Setting: Academic institutions and private infertility clinics.

Semen profiles of male partners in females presenting with endometriosis-associated subfertility.

Objective: To establish fertile and subfertile groups of males in couples presenting with endometriosis-related infertility in the female.

Design: Retrospective study of semen profiles on partners of women undergoing surgery for endometriosis-related infertility.

Setting: University-affiliated assisted reproduction center.

Is the addition of metformin efficacious in the treatment of clomiphene citrate-resistant patients with polycystic ovary syndrome? A structured literature review.

Objective: The aim of this literature search is to establish if metformin is efficacious when given to clomiphene citrate (CC)-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients.

Design: Medline database was searched from 1 January 1980 to 1 January 2005. Inclusion criteria were prospective randomized control trials where metformin was randomized either with placebo or CC to induce ovulation in the CC-resistant patient.

Use of a zona laser treatment system in assisted hatching: optimal laser utilization parameters.

Objective: This study aimed to establish the benefit of laser micromanipulation of the zona pellucida as a method of assisted hatching and to determine the optimal technical settings.

Design: Prospective pilot study.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Endotoxic shock after gamete intrafallopian transfer.

Objective: To report an extremely rare case of endotoxic shock due to Enterobacter cloacae that occurred after laparoscopy for gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) in a nulligravid woman.

Design: Private fertility center in Cape Town, South Africa.

Setting: Case report.

Effect of reactive oxygen species produced by spermatozoa and leukocytes on sperm functions in non-leukocytospermic patients.

Objective: To investigate whether there is an impact of different sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on sperm functions.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Patients at the Center for Dermatology and Andrology, Giessen, Germany.

Influence of deoxyribonucleic acid damage on fertilization and pregnancy.

Objective: To investigate sperm DNA damage in relation to fertilization and pregnancy.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: The Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Giessen, Germany.

DNA fragmentation of spermatozoa and assisted reproduction technology.

Despite the ever-increasing knowledge of the fertilization process, there is still a need for better understanding of the causes of sperm DNA fragmentation and its impact on fertilization and pregnancy. For this reason, human sperm DNA fragmentation was investigated by means of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUDP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ejaculate and in the spermatozoa themselves. These data were correlated with fertilization and pregnancy data from IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) patients.

Monitoring technologist reading skills in a sperm morphology quality control program.

Objective: The value of sperm morphology as a predictor of a man's fertilizing potential has often been challenged because of different classification systems used to distinguish between normal and abnormal spermatozoa. The study aimed to monitor the reading skills of 53 laboratory technologists who are enrolled in a continuous quality control program for sperm morphology assessment.

Design: Prospective analytical study.

Relationship between zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction, sperm morphology, sperm-zona pellucida binding, and in vitro fertilization.

Objective: To evaluate the possible relationships between sperm morphology, acrosome responsiveness to solubilized human zona pellucida, and sperm-zona binding potential among [1] consecutive andrology referrals and [2] randomly selected in vitro fertilization (IVF) cases.

Design: Prospective analytical study.

Setting: Academic training hospital.