Advanced glycation end-products and its soluble receptor are not independent predictors of incident dysglycaemia or metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective observational study.

Background: To evaluate the association of serum advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and its soluble receptor of AGE (sRAGE) levels with dysglycaemia and metabolic syndrome in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: This was an analysis of a cohort of women with PCOS who were prospectively recruited for a longitudinal observational study on their endocrine and metabolic profile between January 2010 and December 2013. The association of serum AGEs and sRAGE levels with dysglycaemia and metabolic syndrome at the second-year visit (the index visit) and the sixth-year visit (the outcome visit) were determined.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis for monogenic diseases.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was first reported in 1990. Thereafter, more and more indications for PGD, including monogenic diseases (MGD) and translocations, are presently available, and the list of indications of PGD is expanding from early-onset and serious conditions to late-onset diseases. Polymerase chain reaction has been used for PGD of MGD, while newer techniques, including karyomapping and next-generation sequencing, emerge in recent decade.

A randomized double-blinded controlled trial of hCG as luteal phase support in natural cycle frozen embryo transfer.

Study Question: Does the use of hCG as luteal phase support in natural cycle frozen embryo transfer (FET) increase the ongoing pregnancy rate?

Study Answer: The use of hCG in natural cycle FET did not improve the ongoing pregnancy rate.

What Is Known Already: The use of luteal phase support in stimulated cycles has been associated with higher live-birth rates and the results are similar when using hCG or progesterone.

Study Design Size, Duration: This is a randomized double-blinded controlled trial of 450 women recruited between August 2013 and October 2015.

A randomized double-blind controlled trial of the use of dydrogesterone in women with threatened miscarriage in the first trimester: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Miscarriage is a common complication of pregnancy occurring in 15-20 % of all clinically recognized pregnancies. Currently, there is still no good scientific evidence to support the routine use of progestogens for the treatment of threatened miscarriage because the existing studies were not large enough to show a significant difference and some of them were not randomized or double-blind.

Methods: This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

The effect of 7 days of letrozole pretreatment combined with misoprostol on the expression of progesterone receptor and apoptotic factors of placental and decidual tissues from first-trimester abortion: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate if letrozole-induced suppression of estradiol reduces progesterone receptor expression and apoptosis in the first-trimester placenta.

Study Design: We performed a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. We randomized 20 women requesting first-trimester abortion with gestation up to 63 days to receive either letrozole 10 mg daily or placebo pretreatment for 7 days before administrating 400 mcg of vaginal misoprostol followed by suction abortion.

Live birth and cumulative live birth rates in expected poor ovarian responders defined by the Bologna criteria following IVF/ICSI treatment.

Objective: To determine the live birth and cumulative live birth rates of expected poor ovarian responders according to the Bologna criteria and to compare their outcomes with those of expected normal responders.

Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: University infertility clinic.

Ovarian response and cumulative live birth rate of women undergoing in-vitro fertilisation who had discordant anti-Mullerian hormone and antral follicle count measurements: a retrospective study.

Objective: To evaluate ovarian response and cumulative live birth rate of women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment who had discordant baseline serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level and antral follicle count (AFC).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study on 1,046 women undergoing the first IVF cycle in Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. Subjects receiving standard IVF treatment with the GnRH agonist long protocol were classified according to their quartiles of baseline AMH and AFC measurements after GnRH agonist down-regulation and before commencing ovarian stimulation.

The effect of endometrial injury on ongoing pregnancy rate in unselected subfertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization: a randomized controlled trial.

Study Question: Does endometrial injury in the cycle preceding ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) improve the ongoing pregnancy rate in unselected subfertile women?

Summary Answer: Endometrial injury induced by endometrial aspiration in the preceding cycle does not improve the ongoing pregnancy rate in unselected subfertile women undergoing IVF.

What Is Known Already: Implantation failure remains one of the major limiting factors for IVF success. Mechanical endometrial injury in the cycle preceding ovarian stimulation of IVF treatment has been shown to improve implantation and pregnancy rates in women with repeated implantation failures.

Effect of preovulatory progesterone elevation and duration of progesterone elevation on the pregnancy rate of frozen-thawed embryo transfer in natural cycles.

Objective: To assess the incidence of P elevation (PE) in natural cycles and evaluate its effect on frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles performed in natural cycles (FET-NC).

Study Design: Retrospective analysis.

Setting: A tertiary assisted reproductive unit.

Cumulative live-birth rate in women with polycystic ovary syndrome or isolated polycystic ovaries undergoing in-vitro fertilisation treatment.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the cumulative live birth rate in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and isolated polycystic ovaries (PCO) undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

Methods: We studied 104 women with PCOS, 184 with PCO and 576 age-matched controls undergoing the first IVF treatment cycle between 2002 and 2009. The main outcome measure was cumulative live birth in the fresh plus all the frozen embryo transfers combined after the same stimulation cycle.

Ovarian sensitivity index is a better measure of ovarian responsiveness to gonadotrophin stimulation than the number of oocytes during in-vitro fertilization treatment.

Purpose: To validate the use of the ovarian sensitivity index (OSI) as a measure of ovarian response during in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.

Methods: This is a retrospective study carried out in an assisted reproduction unit in a teaching hospital. We analysed data from 2,556 women undergoing the first IVF cycle between 2002 and 2009.

The effect of letrozole with misoprostol for medical termination of pregnancy on the expression of steroid receptors in the placenta.

Study Question: What is the effect of letrozole on the expression of steroid receptors in the placentae in cases of termination of pregnancies?

Summary Answer: The expression of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) transcripts, as well as ERα protein, in placentae was suppressed by letrozole pretreatment in second trimester termination of pregnancy.

What Is Known Already: There have been no data in the literature on the effect of letrozole in termination of human pregnancies.

Study Design, Size, Duration: This study is part of a clinical randomized trial in which 50 subjects were recruited and 44 placentae were collected.

Role of baseline antral follicle count and anti-Mullerian hormone in prediction of cumulative live birth in the first in vitro fertilisation cycle: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Objective: This retrospective study determined for the first time the role of baseline antral follicle count (AFC) and serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level in the first in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycle in predicting cumulative live birth from one stimulation cycle.

Methods: We studied 1,156 women (median age 35 years) undergoing the first IVF cycle. Baseline AFC and AMH level on the day before ovarian stimulation were analysed.

A pilot study on the use of a 7-day course of letrozole followed by misoprostol for the termination of early pregnancy up to 63 days.

Background: Our previous randomized controlled study showed that the complete abortion rate in termination of pregnancy up to 63 days with the combined use of letrozole for 3 days followed by vaginal misoprostol was significantly higher than that of misoprostol alone. A positive correlation was observed between the basal estradiol level and the failure rate. We performed this pilot study to assess if a longer course of letrozole followed by misoprostol would improve the estradiol suppression and the complete abortion rate of pregnancy up to 63 days.

A prospective double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on the use of letrozole pretreatment with misoprostol for second-trimester medical abortion.

Background: The aim of this randomized trial was to evaluate the abortion rate of combined regimen of letrozole and misoprostol in second-trimester abortion.

Study Design: This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 130 women requesting legal termination of pregnancy at gestational age between 12 and 20 weeks. Letrozole 7.

Sequential use of letrozole and gonadotrophin in women with poor ovarian reserve: a randomized controlled trial.

Sequential use of letrozole and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) was compared with HMG only in poor ovarian responders undergoing IVF. Patients (n=53) with less than four oocytes retrieved in previous IVF cycles or less than five antral follicles were randomized to either letrozole for 5days followed by HMG or HMG alone. The letrozole group had lower dosage of HMG (P<0.

Aromatase inhibitors for ovulation induction and ovarian stimulation.

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) were originally developed for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Their use in reproductive medicine has been extensively studied in the past decade. We reviewed the current strategies for ovulation induction for anovulatory women, mostly women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and the scientific basis for use of AIs in reproductive medicine.

Misoprostol with or without letrozole pretreatment for termination of pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the success rate and side effects of letrozole and misoprostol versus misoprostol alone for medical termination of early pregnancy.

Methods: Patients requesting termination of pregnancy up to 63 days of gestation were randomized into two groups. The letrozole group received letrozole 10 mg daily for 3 days followed by 800 micrograms of vaginal misoprostol, while the placebo group received placebo for 3 days followed by the same dosage of misoprostol.