Soluble luteinizing hormone receptor in follicular fluid and the association with reproductive function during IVF and ICSI.

The need for assisted reproductive technology (ART) has increased worldwide, leaving a negative impact on both physical and emotional health of the individual as well as on society depending on child births, thus biomarkers that can increase the success of ART are warranted. The luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) is released into blood and follicular fluid, and the level of soluble LHCGR (sLHCGR) in serum has previously been suggested to predict chances of pregnancy and live birth rate after ART. We aimed to investigate whether sLHCGR originates from the ovary and if serum or follicular fluid sLHCGR can predict the likelihood of pregnancy or live birth.

Ovarian follicular fluid levels of phthalates and benzophenones in relation to fertility outcomes.

Background: Many endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), for instance phthalates and benzophenones, are associated with adverse fertility outcomes and semen quality parameters.

Objective: To evaluate if concentrations of selected phthalate metabolites and benzophenones measured in follicular fluid are associated with fertility outcomes (i.e.

Developmental stage and morphology of the competent blastocyst are associated with sex of the child but not with other obstetric outcomes: a multicenter cohort study.

Study Question: Are transfer day, developmental stage and morphology of the competent blastocyst in pregnancies leading to live birth associated with preterm birth, birthweight, length at birth and sex of the child?

Summary Answer: A high score in blastocyst developmental stage and in trophectoderm (TE) showed a significant association with the sex of the child, while no other associations with obstetric outcomes were observed.

What Is Known Already: The association between blastocyst assessment scores and obstetric outcomes have been reported in small single-center studies and the results are conflicting.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Multicenter historical cohort study based on exposure data (transfer day (blastocyst developmental stage reached by Day 5 or Day 6)) blastocyst developmental stage (1-6) and morphology (TE and inner cell mass (ICM): A, B, C)) and outcome data (preterm birth, birthweight, length at birth, and sex of the child) from women undergoing single blastocyst transfer resulting in a singleton pregnancy and live birth.

[Oocyt donation].

The number of treatments with donated oocytes has risen markedly in Denmark during the latest decade due to changes in legislation and because female age is increasingly advanced when fertility treatment is warranted. Today, oocyte donation is a standard procedure offering the otherwise untreatable a high chance of achieving a pregnancy. Live birth rates as high as 35% per treatment are being reported.