miR-188-3p-targeted regulation of ATG7 affects cell autophagy in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia.

Background: Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is one of the most difficult forms of male infertility to treat, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. miRNAs can regulate autophagy by affecting their target gene expression. Our previous study found that miR-188-3p expression in NOA patients was low.

Abnormal BMI in Male and/or Female Partners Are Deleterious for Embryonic Development and Pregnancy Outcome During ART Process: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of BMI in male and/or female partners on embryo development and clinical pregnancy outcome during ART.

Methods: Data of 11,130 cycles between January 2018 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into Group A, B, C, and D based on couples' BMI values, also were divided into Group I, II, III and IV in IVF cycles and Group i, ii, iii, and iv in ICSI cycles.

Follicle-stimulating hormone may predict sperm retrieval rate and guide surgical approach in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

Testicular sperm aspiration- (TESA) or micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction- (MD-TESE) combined intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was the only option for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients to have a biological offspring and they had different success rates in sperm retrieval. Our study aimed to find predictor(s) for predicting the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) in NOAs and guide clinicians in choosing different surgical approaches, TESA or MD-TESE for NOAs. 294 NOAs who had undergone TESA or MD-TESE were divided into TESA group and MD-TESE group.

Reproductive Outcomes of Single Embryo Transfer in Women with Previous Cesarean Section.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the reproductive outcomes of patients with previous cesarean section (CS) undergoing single-embryo transfer (SET). A total of 5479 patients previously underwent CS or vaginal delivery (VD) were included. The patients with previous CS included single/double cleavage (SCT/DCT), single/double blastocyst stage embryo transfer (SBT/DBT).

The effect of endometrial injury on reproductive outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles in women with one implantation failure.

Objective: Endometrial injury (EI) is a simple procedure that may improve endometrial receptivity. The purpose of our study was to investigate whether EI improves reproductive outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles in patients with one implantation failure.

Methods: The EI group comprised 258 selected patients, and the control group comprised 258 patients retrospectively matched by age, number of transferred embryos, and stage of transferred embryos.

Factors predicting clinical pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (a STROBE-compliant article).

The aim of this study was to investigate the factors predicting clinical pregnancy rate of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).The data of 9960 patients receiving IVF-ET fresh cycle at our Reproductive Center from January 2009 to December 2017 were first divided into pregnant group and non-pregnant group to find the clinical pregnancy rate-related factors. According to the serum HCG levels at 36 hours and 12 hours after HCG trigger, all patients were divided into 4 groups including <50 mIU/ml, ≥50 and <100 mIU/ml, ≥100 and <200 mIU/ml, and ≥200 mIU/ml groups to know whether the HCG levels at 36 hours and 12 hours affect the pregnancy rate.

Clinical analysis of spontaneous pregnancy reduction in the patients with multiple pregnancies undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer.

Objective: To investigate the spontaneous pregnancy reduction (SPR) rate, SPR-related factors and the effects of SPR on pregnancy outcomes in the patients with multiple pregnancies undergoing in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET).

Methods: Between January 1998 and December 2010, 3957 patients undergoing fresh/frozen-thawed cycles (IVF/ICSI-ET) and their 5106 neonates were enrolled in this study. According to spontaneous pregnancy reduction (SPR), this study included singleton originating from twins [(2→1) group] or from triplets [(3→1) group], and twins originating from triplets [(3→2) group].

Effects of the distance between small intramural uterine fibroids and the endometrium on the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Aim: To explore the effects of the distance between small intramural uterine fibroids (≤4 cm) and the endometrium on the outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Methods: We prospectively analyzed pregnancy outcomes in 117 infertile women with small intramural uterine fibroids and 117 infertile women without uterine fibroids who all underwent IVF-ET. The size and number of small intramural uterine fibroids and the shortest distance between the small intramural uterine fibroids and the endometrium were measured by transvaginal three-dimensional ultrasound.

An research on the isolation methods of frozen-thawed human ovarian preantral follicles.

Objective: To explore the effective isolation method for preantral follicles from human frozen-thawed ovarian tissue.

Methods: The ovarian cortical tissue was frozen by direct cover vitrification (DCV). The frozen-thawed ovarian tissue was used for isolation of preantral follicles with collagenase combined with mechanical method and mechanical method alone, respectively.

Comparative study of pregnancy outcomes between day 3 embryo transfer and day 5 blastocyst transfer in patients with progesterone elevation.

Objective: To explore the effects of progesterone (P) elevation on pregnancy outcomes of day 3 embryo and day 5 blastocyst transfer.

Methods: Clinical outcomes (pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy rates) following day 3 embryo and day 5 blastocyst transfer cycles were retrospectively analysed. Day 3 embryo and day 5 blastocyst transfer cycles were divided into normal P level (P ≤ 1.

Follow-up of children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection with epididymal and testicular spermatozoa.

Background: To evaluate the safety of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with epididymal or testicular sperm, this study compared children born after ICSI treatment with epididymal or testicular sperm with children conceived after ICSI with ejaculated sperm.

Methods: This retrospective study included 317 children born after ICSI with percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), 103 children born after ICSI with testicular sperm aspiration (TESA), and a control group of 1008 children born after ICSI with ejaculated sperm. All of the patients received their assisted reproductive treatment in the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2004 to December 2011.

Effect of modified single cell fixation method on cell-nuclear areas and fluorescence in-situ hybridization signals.

Background: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is an irreplaceable method in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. We explored the effects of a modified single cell fixation method on the cell-nuclear area and FISH signal.

Methods: From January 2006 to March 2008, the blastomeres with marked nuclei from D3 embryos were selected.

Molecular karyotype single nucleotide polymorphism analysis of early fetal demise.

We explored the application of single nucleotide polymorphism microarray (SNP array) in molecular karyotype analysis for early spontaneous abortion detection in assisted reproductive technology (ART). SNP array was performed in 81 cases. Of the 81 cases, 16 experienced natural conception (NC) and 65 were pregnant by ART.

[Study on the incidence and influences on ectopic pregnancy from embryo transfer of fresh cycles and frozen-thawed cycles].

Objective: To investigate ectopic pregnancy from embryo transfer (ET)of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle and frozen-thawed (FET) cycle.

Methods: From Jan.2005 to Dec.

Ectopic pregnancy in frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a retrospective analysis of 4,034 cycles and related factors.

We analyzed the incidence of ectopic pregnancy in frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) as a function of natural and hormone replacement cycles and ectopic pregnancy-related factors. In this study, there were 4,034 FET cycles performed in our center between January 2005 and December 2010, and the rates of ectopic pregnancy were compared between natural and hormone replacement cycles. The analysis of ectopic pregnancy-related factors in FET was performed with 1:4 age-matched chi-square tests.

Effect of coincubation time of sperm-oocytes on fertilization, embryonic development, and subsequent pregnancy outcome.

Several studies have reported improved IVF by shortening the time of sperm-oocyte coincubation from 16-18 hours to 1-4 hours. The objective of this study was to examine the advantages and disadvantages of a shortened sperm-oocyte coincubation time in order to assess the effects of this insemination method for clinical IVF practice. Two insemination methods, the shortened method (4 hours) and the standard method (16-18 hours) of coincubation of sperm-oocytes for two groups of patients based on the quality of sperm were compared.

Comparative study on the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer between long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist combined with transvaginal ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration and long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist alone.

Objective: To retrospectively analyze the effects of long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) combined with transvaginal ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration on the pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in the infertile patients with ovarian endometriosis.

Methods: The 134 patients with ovarian endometriosis who underwent GnRH-a combined with transvaginal ultrasound-guided cyst aspiration and IVF-ET were served as experimental group. The 102 patients with ovarian endometriosis who underwent GnRH-a and IVF-ET were served as control group.

Relationship between processed total motile sperm count of husband or donor semen and pregnancy outcome following intrauterine insemination.

We retrospectively analyzed 6,360 artificial insemination cycles of husband's semen through intrauterine insemination (AIH-IUI) or artificial insemination with donor semen through intrauterine insemination (AID-IUI) in patients with infertility between August, 1998 and August, 2010. The relationship between processed total motile sperm count (PTMS) and pregnancy outcome was determined. The study was divided into 6 groups according to PTMS.

Clinical outcome of emergency egg vitrification for women when sperm extraction from the testicular tissues of the male partner is not successful.

The development of an effective oocyte cryopreservation system will have a significant impact on the clinical practice of reproductive medicine. However, the important option of emergency oocyte cryopreservation has yet to be well documented. In this report, we review the cases of 15 women with male partners who were diagnosed with nonobstructive azoospermia and for whom testicular sperm extraction on the day of oocyte retrieval failed.

[Effect of endometrial stimulation on pregnancy outcome of in vitro fertilization patients].

Objective: To analyze the effect of endometrial stimulation on the pregnancy outcome of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

Methods: A total of 759 subjects were treated by fresh IVF at our hospital in 2007. Sixty-eight subjects received endometrial stimulation at Days 4-5 of menstruation before IVF while other 691 were controls without treatment.

[Effects of cryopreservation time and thawing method of human oocyte vitrification on the outcome of assisted reproduction].

Objective: To evaluate the effects on pregnancy outcome of freezing time from oocyte retrieval and thawing method for metaphaseII human oocytes vitrification.

Methods: From Mar 2007 to Mar 2009, the clinical outcome of 30 infertile women undergoing vitrified-thawing oocytes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in the Reproductive Medical Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University was studied retrospectively, including 21 women with double fallopian tube obstruction and 9 women's husband azoospermia. All infertile women were divided into three groups, including 5 cases in group A (freezing between 4 and 5 hours from oocyte retrieval and conventional thawing method), 9 cases in group B (freezing within 2 hours from retrieval and conventional thawing method) and 16 cases in group C (freezing within 2 hours from retrieval and improved thawing method).

[Outcomes of ICSI with microamount frozen-thawed sperm obtained by PESA or TESA in the treatment of azoospermia].

Objective: To investigate the effects and clinical pregnancy outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm insemination (ICSI) with microamount frozen-thawed sperm obtained by percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) or testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) in azoospermia patients.

Methods: We divided 365 azoospermia patients treated by ICSI into an experimental group (n = 123) and a control group (n = 242) , the former with microamount frozen-thawed sperm, and the latter fresh sperm obtained by PESA or TESA. The rates of fertilization, good embryos, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy and multiple pregnancy were analyzed and compared between the two groups.

[Clinical application of oocyte vitrification in failed testicular sperm extraction cycles: report of 8 cases].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical application value of oocyte vitrification in failed testicular sperm extraction cycles in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 8 women undergoing oocyte frozen-thawing cycles by vitrification because of failed testicular sperm extraction from their NOA husbands and no banked donor sperm on the day of oocyte retrieval. The oocytes were cryopreserved by vitrification with cryotop and thawed 2 months later.

[Analysis of 1540 neonates with birth defects related to different assisted reproductive technique].

Objective: To investigate the incidence of and clinical factors influencing neonatal birth defects from different assisted reproductive technology.

Methods: Between October 1998 and December 2006, 1271 newborns from mothers treated by in vitro fertilization techniques [including in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and thaw embryo transfer (Thaw-ET)] matched with 269 newborns from mothers treated by artificial insemination were enrolled in Reproductive Medicine Center in First Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University. Their medical information was analyzed retrospectively to compared neonatal characteristics, the incidence of birth defect and anomalous organs involved between in vitro fertilization group and artificial insemination group.

Effects of the copper intrauterine device on the expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in the endometrium.

Objective: To examine the expression levels of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 in the endometrium before and after insertion of the copper intrauterine device (Cu-IUD).

Methods: Ten patients were investigated. Two endometrial biopsies were taken from the uterus of each patient.