Monocytes expressing activin A and CCR2 exacerbate chronic testicular inflammation by promoting immune cell infiltration.

Study Question: Does the chemokine/chemokine receptor axis, involved in immune cell trafficking, contribute to the pathology of testicular inflammation and how does activin A modulate this network?

Summary Answer: Testicular chemokines and their receptors (especially those essential for trafficking of monocytes) are elevated in orchitis, and activin A modulates the expression of the chemokine/chemokine receptor network to promote monocyte/macrophage and T cell infiltration into the testes, causing extensive tissue damage.

What Is Known Already: The levels of CC motif chemokine receptor (CCR)2 and its ligand CC motif chemokine ligand (CCL)2 are increased in experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) compared with healthy testes, and mice deficient in CCR2 are protected from EAO-induced tissue damage. Activin A induces CCR2 expression in macrophages, promoting their migration.

Abnormal uterine bleeding: The well-known and the hidden face.

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a bleeding from the uterine corpus that is abnormal in regularity, volume, frequency or duration. It encompasses heavy menstrual bleeding, irregular menstrual bleeding and intermenstrual bleeding, which are common symptoms among women of reproductive age, impacting their overall well-being. Menstruation involves interactions between endometrial epithelial and stromal cells, immune cell influx, and changes in endometrial vasculature.

Individualized dosing of follitropin delta affects live birth and safety in in vitro fertilization treatment: an individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: To undertake a one-stage meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized trials comparing individualized dosing of follitropin delta vs. other forms of follitropin (alpha and beta) for live birth (LB) rates (LBR) and safety parameters in women undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization treatment.

Design: Systematic review with individual patient data meta-analysis.

Long acting progestogens versus combined oral contraceptive pill for preventing recurrence of endometriosis related pain: the PRE-EMPT pragmatic, parallel group, open label, randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of long acting progestogens compared with the combined oral contraceptive pill in preventing recurrence of endometriosis related pain.

Design: The PRE-EMPT (preventing recurrence of endometriosis) pragmatic, parallel group, open label, randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 34 UK hospitals.

Extracellular vesicles secreted by cumulus cells contain microRNAs that are potential regulatory factors of mouse oocyte developmental competence.

The role of cumulus cells (CCs) in the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence is not yet fully understood. In a previous study, we matured cumulus-denuded fully-grown mouse oocytes to metaphase II (MII) on a feeder layer of CCs (FL-CCs) isolated from developmentally competent (FL-SN-CCs) or incompetent (FL-NSN-CCs) SN (surrounded nucleolus) or NSN (not surrounding nucleolus) oocytes, respectively. We observed that oocytes cultured on the former could develop into blastocysts, while those matured on the latter arrested at the 2-cell stage.

Trends in and Correlates of Short-Acting Contraceptive Stock-Outs: Multicountry Analysis of Performance Monitoring for Action Agile Platform Data.

Understanding trends in contraceptive stock-outs, as well as their structural and demand-side correlates, is critical for policymakers and program managers to identify strategies to further anticipate, reduce, and prevent stock-outs. We analyzed trends as well as supply- and demand-side correlates of short-acting contraceptive method stock-outs by using data from multiple rounds of Performance Monitoring for Action Agile surveys. These data longitudinally measured contraceptive availability over 2 years (between November 2017 and January 2020) across 2,134 public and private service delivery points (SDPs) from urban areas of 5 countries (Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo [DRC], India, Kenya, and Nigeria).

The impact of the microbiota-gut-brain axis on endometriosis-associated symptoms: mechanisms and opportunities for personalised management strategies.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting one in 10 women and those assigned female at birth, defined by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. It is commonly associated with pain, infertility, and mood disorders, and often comorbid with other chronic pain conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome. Recent research has identified a key role for the microbiota-gut-brain axis in health and a range of inflammatory and neurological disorders, prompting an exploration of its potential mechanistic role in endometriosis.

Stillbirth mortality by Robson ten-group classification system: A cross-sectional registry of 80 663 births from 16 hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To assess stillbirth mortality by Robson ten-group classification and the usefulness of this approach for understanding trends.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Prospectively collected perinatal e-registry data from 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

Feasibility study of the application of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to measure oral posture related changes in stiffness of zygomaticus major muscle.

Purpose: Development of a technique for measuring the mechanical properties of zygomaticus major (ZM) may aid advances in clinical treatments for correcting abnormal oral posture. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the feasibility of measuring the stiffness of ZM using an MR elastography technique that incorporates a custom local driver and a phase-gradient (PG) inversion.

Methods: 2D MRE investigations were performed for 3 healthy subjects using a vibration frequency of 90 Hz to test the prediction that the stiffness of ZM would be greater in the mouth-open compared to the mouth-closed position.

Complement Terminal Pathway Activation and Intrarenal Immune Response in C3 Glomerulopathy.

Key Points: We evidenced terminal pathway activation (C5b-9 deposits) in most of the glomeruli on kidney biopsy of C3 glomerulopathy. The amount of C5b-9 deposits correlated with disease prognosis in C3 glomerulopathy. Increased terminal pathway activation was found predominantly in a subgroup exhibiting an immuno-fibroblastic signature.

Utilization of home- and community-based services among older adults worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To identify and categorize home- and community-based services used by older adults and the distribution of their utilization, and to examine their utilization patterns in terms of region, time trends, and older adults' characteristics.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of six databases for studies published up to January 12, 2023, and performed meta-analyses and subgroup analyses to identify the utilization of home- and community-based services and analyze utilization patterns concerning region, time trends, and individual characteristics.

Current global status of male reproductive health.

Background: The widespread interest in male reproductive health (MRH), fueled by emerging evidence, such as the global decline in sperm counts, has intensified concerns about the status of MRH. Consequently, there is a pressing requirement for a strategic, systematic approach to identifying critical questions, collecting pertinent information, and utilizing these data to develop evidence-based strategies. The methods for addressing these questions and the pathways toward their answers will inevitably vary based on the variations in cultural, geopolitical, and health-related contexts.

Infant attachment does not depend on neonatal amygdala and hippocampal structure and connectivity.

Infant attachment is an antecedent of later socioemotional abilities, which can be adversely affected by preterm birth. The structural integrity of amygdalae and hippocampi may subserve attachment in infancy. We aimed to investigate associations between neonatal amygdalae and hippocampi structure and their whole-brain connections and attachment behaviours at nine months of age in a sample of infants enriched for preterm birth.

A population-based estimation of maternal mortality in Lagos State, Nigeria using the indirect sisterhood method.

Background: Pregnancy and delivery deaths represent a risk to women, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This population-based survey was conducted to provide estimates of the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in Lagos Nigeria.

Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in mapped Wards and Enumeration Areas (EA) of all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos, among 9,986 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) from April to August 2022 using a 2-stage cluster sampling technique.

Proteomic biomarkers in seminal plasma as predictors of reproductive potential in azoospermic men.

Introduction: Azoospermia, characterized by an absence of sperm in the ejaculate, represents the most severe form of male infertility. While surgical sperm retrieval in obstructive azoospermia (OA) is successful in the majority of cases, patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) show retrieval rates of only about 50% and thus frequently have unnecessary surgery. Surgical intervention could be avoided if patients without preserved spermatogenesis are identified preoperatively.

T cells in testicular germ cell tumors: new evidence of fundamental contributions by rare subsets.

Background: Immune cell infiltration is heterogeneous but common in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and pre-invasive germ cell neoplasia in situ (GCNIS). Tumor-infiltrating T cells including regulatory T (Treg) and follicular helper T (Tfh) cells are found in other cancer entities, but their contributions to TGCT are unknown.

Methods: Human testis specimens from independent patient cohorts were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) with special emphasis on delineating T cell subtypes.

Linzagolix therapy versus a placebo in patients with endometriosis-associated pain: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 study (EDELWEISS 3).

Study Question: Does linzagolix administered orally once daily for up to 3 months at a dose of 75 mg alone or 200 mg in combination with add-back therapy (ABT) (1.0 mg estradiol; 0.5 mg norethindrone acetate, also known as norethisterone acetate [NETA]) demonstrate better efficacy than placebo in the management of endometriosis-related dysmenorrhea and non-menstrual pelvic pain?

Summary Answer: Combining 200 mg linzagolix with ABT was found to significantly reduce dysmenorrhea and non-menstrual pelvic pain at 3 months of therapy, while a daily dose of 75 mg linzagolix yielded a significant decrease only in dysmenorrhea at 3 months.

Midluteal serum estradiol levels are associated with live birth rates in hormone replacement therapy frozen embryo transfer cycles: a cohort study.

Objective: To study whether midluteal serum estradiol (E2) levels are associated with the live birth rate in hormone replacement therapy frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles in patients with optimal midluteal serum progesterone (P4) levels.

Design: Observational prospective cohort study.

Setting: Public fertility clinic.