Early cumulus cell removal increases cumulative live birth rate while having no negative effect on the malformation rate in in vitro fertilization: a propensity score-matched cohort study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of early cumulus cell removal (ECCR) during human in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed between January 2011 and December 2019. The study enrolled 1131 couples who underwent IVF treatment with ECCR.

The impact of the embryo banking on the cumulative live birth rate in women with poor ovarian response according to the Bologna criteria.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of embryo banking on the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) and the time to live birth (TTLB) in poor ovarian responders (POR) according to the Bologna criteria.

Methods: A total of 276 infertile women undergoing IVF with POR were included in this retrospective study. They were divided into two groups with ( = 121) or without ( = 155) embryo banking at the discretion of the attending physicians.

Artificial oocyte activation with Ca ionophore improves reproductive outcomes in patients with fertilization failure and poor embryo development in previous ICSI cycles.

Research Question: Does artificial oocyte activation (AOA) by a calcium ionophore (ionomycin) improve the previous fertilization failure or poor embryo development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) account for male factor infertility or other infertility causes?

Design: This retrospective study involved 114 patients receiving ICSI-AOA in Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital with previous ICSI fertilization failure or poor embryo development. The previous ICSI cycles of the same patients without AOA served as the control group. The fertilization rates, cleavage rates, transferable embryo rates and blastocyst formation rates of the two groups were compared.

A randomized double blind comparison of atosiban in patients with recurrent implantation failure undergoing IVF treatment.

Background: Patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF) may have more uterine contractions. Several observational studies suggested that atosiban administration around embryo transfer resulted in higher pregnancy rates in RIF patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of atosiban given before fresh embryo transfer on pregnancy outcomes of women with RIF.

Comparison of the cumulative live birth rates after 1 in vitro fertilization cycle in women using gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol vs. progestin-primed ovarian stimulation: a propensity score-matched study.

Objective: To determine whether gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol can improve cumulative live birth rates (CLBRs) and shorten the time to live birth (TTLB) in unselected patients compared with progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS).

Design: A propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study design.

Setting: Tertiary-care academic medical center.

Decreased intracellular IL-33 impairs endometrial receptivity in women with adenomyosis.

Adenomyosis is a common benign uterine lesion that is associated with female infertility, reduced clinical pregnancy rate and high miscarriage risk. While it has been known that the impaired endometrial receptivity is implicated in infertility in patients with adenomyosis, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we showed that intracellular protein level of IL-33 was downregulated in the endometrium of patients with adenomyosis, and IL-33 expression status was shown to be positively correlated with that of HOXA10, an endometrial receptivity marker.

The Key Role of Peroxisomes in Follicular Growth, Oocyte Maturation, Ovulation, and Steroid Biosynthesis.

The absence of peroxisomes can cause disease in the human reproductive system, including the ovaries. The available peroxisomal gene-knockout female mouse models, which exhibit pathological changes in the ovary and reduced fertility, are listed in this review. Our review article provides the first systematic presentation of peroxisomal regulation and its possible functions in the ovary.

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes after frozen-thawed embryos transfer with laser-assisted hatching: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To ascertain if assisted hatching (AH) increases the risk of placenta-associated diseases and perinatal outcomes after frozen-thawed cleavage-stage embryo transfer.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 924 women who conceived with frozen-thawed cleavage-stage embryos transfer with (n = 390) or without (n = 534) laser-AH between 2013 and 2015. Data were obtained from the database on in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients in Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital.

Cyclosporin A protects JEG-3 cells against oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the p53 and JNK/p38 signaling pathways.

Background: Trophoblast cells are required for the establishment of pregnancy and fetal development. Apoptosis is an essential feature for trophoblast invasion. Uncontrolled trophoblast apoptosis is related to some complicate pregnancies.

Comparison of the ongoing pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilisation following tubal occlusion by microcoil placement versus laparoscopic tubal ligation for hydrosalpinges.

To compare the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) following tubal occlusion by microcoil placement versus laparoscopic tubal ligation for hydrosalpinges. This was a single centre retrospective study of 127 infertile women aged <43 years with unilateral or bilateral hydrosalpinges on transvaginal ultrasound who underwent either tubal occlusion by the microcoil placement under X-ray control (the microcoil group ( = 60)) or laparoscopic tubal ligation (the ligation group ( = 67)) prior to IVF at the discretion of the attending physicians. In all women, laparoscopy was not considered to be contraindicated due to extensive pelvic adhesions.

Cyclosporin A protects trophoblasts from HO-induced oxidative injury via FAK-Src pathway.

Oxidative stress is associated with functional disorder of trophoblast cells. Our previous studies have demonstrated that cyclosporin A (CsA) promotes the activity of normal human trophoblast cells. We further investigated the role and mechanism of CsA on oxidative stress in trophoblast cells.

Elevation of antimüllerian hormone in women with polycystic ovary syndrome undergoing assisted reproduction: effect of insulin.

Objective: To measure blood and follicular antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and to examine the direct action of insulin on AMH expression in human granulosa cells.

Design: Prospective clinical and experimental study.

Setting: University Hospital-based laboratory.

A randomized triple blind controlled trial comparing the live birth rate of IVF following brief incubation versus standard incubation of gametes.

Study Question: Does brief incubation of oocytes and spermatozoa improve the live birth rate (LBR) of IVF when compared with that of standard incubation?

Summary Answer: Brief incubation of gametes does not improve the LBR of IVF when compared with standard incubation.

What Is Known Already: Some small randomized studies showed that brief incubation was associated with a significantly higher ongoing pregnancy rate than standard incubation.

Study Design, Size, Duration: This is a randomized triple blind study of 320 infertile women for their first or repeated cycles undergoing IVF between September 2015 and October 2016.

Follicular hyperandrogenism downregulates aromatase in luteinized granulosa cells in polycystic ovary syndrome women.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing IVF-embryo transfer based-assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment show variable ovarian responses to exogenous FSH administration. For better understanding and control of PCOS ovarian responses in ART, the present study was carried out to compare the follicular hormones and the expression of granulosa cell genes between PCOS and non-PCOS women during ART treatment as well as their IVF outcomes. Overall, 138 PCOS and 78 non-PCOS women were recruited for the present study.

[Correlation between IVF outcomes and Ureaplasma urealyticum infection in male reproductive tract].

Objective: To investigate the influence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) infection in the male reproductive tract on the outcomes of IVF and the clinical significance of preoperative Uu test by analyzing the correlation between the results of Uu culture before IVF-ET and the outcomes of IVF-ET.

Methods: Among 1,059 couples undergoing IVF-ET, we selected 973 after excluding genetic factors and divided them into a Uu negative and a Uu positive group according to the results of culture of Uu in the semen of the males. We compared the rates of IVF fertilization, oocyte cleavage, clinical pregnancy and abortion between the two groups, and analyzed the influence of Uu infection on IVF outcomes.

[Progesterone induction keeps a balanced mitochondrial activity and a low ROS productivity in human sperm].

Objective: To observe the relative activity of sperm mitochondria and the proportion of ROS-positive sperm before and after capacitation and progesterone (Pg)-induced hyperactivation, and investigate the functional characteristics of sperm mitochondria.

Methods: We collected 20 samples of normal human spermatozoa that met the criteria of WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen (5th ed) and cultured them with the swim-up method in a CO2 incubator at 37 degrees C for 1 hour. We divided the sperm into a pre-capacitation and a capacitated group, and further incubated the capacitated sperm in an upright tube with (Pg-induced group) or without (control group) slow-releasing Pg at 37 degrees C for another hour.

[Vitrification of oocytes for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer].

Objective: To explore the feasibility, indication and method of oocyte vitrification during the IVF - ET procedure, so as to increase the utilization of oocytes and reduce oocyte waste.

Methods: This study included the patients whose husbands failed to provide sperm samples at the time of oocyte pickup or from whom more than 25 oocytes were obtained. With the patients' consent, some of their oocytes were subjected to cryopreservation by vitrification, and used for IVF - ET after thawed.

[A 10-year survey on birth defects after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer in Shanghai].

Objective: To survey birth defects of neonates conceived by using various types of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) between 1998 and 2007 in Shanghai.

Methods: From 1998 to 2007, 8507 neonates from 6551 pregnancies conceived through assistant reproductive technology (ART) from 7 reproductive medicine center in Shanghai were enrolled in this retrospective study, including Shanghai Ji-Ai Genetics and IVF Institute, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine affiliated Renji Hospital, Ruijin Hospital, China Welfare Institute International Maternal and Infant Health Hospital, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, Shanghai the Ninth People's Hospital and the Second Military Medical University affiliated Changhai Hospital. The clinical data about the type and incidence of birth defect were analyzed.

[A controlled randomized trial of the use of combined L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine treatment in men with oligoasthenozoospermia].

Objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of combined L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine therapy in infertile males with oligoasthenozoospermia.

Methods: One hundred fifty patients with oligoasthenozoospermia were randomized selected into treatment and control groups. The treatment group with 90 patients were given L-carnitine (2 g/d) and acetyl-L-carnitine (1 g/d) orally, twice a day.

[Intracytoplasmic sperm injection using cryopreserved-thawed testicular spermatozoa with testicular fine needle aspiration].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using cryopreserved-thawed testicular spermatozoa with testicular fine needle aspiration (TEFNA) in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

Methods: Sixty-two patients underwent TEFNA. Mature testicular spermatozoa were found in 35 cases of patients and the testicular tissues were cryopreserved for later ICSI.