Surgery and cancer after endometrial resection. Long-term follow-up on menstrual bleeding and hormone treatment by questionnaire and registry

Purpose  

Long-term follow-up 11 years after endometrial ablation.     

Extended in vitro maturation of immature oocytes from stimulated cycles: an analysis of fertilization potential,embryo development,and reproductive outcomes

Purpose  

To investigate 24 h in vitro maturation (IVM) of cumulus-stripped immature oocytes from stimulated cycles.     

Effectiveness of high‐dose transvaginal progesterone supplementation for women who are undergoing a frozen‐thawed embryo transfer

Purpose

To evaluate the effectiveness of high‐dose progesterone supplementation for women who are undergoing a frozen‐thawed embryo transfer (FET).

Methods

Among the 2010 FET cycles that were included in the present study, 1188 were 1200 mg/d of vaginal progesterone, while 822 were 900 mg/d. The dose of progesterone that was used was decided by the treatment period and additional progesterone supplementation was used when the serum progesterone levels were <9 ng/mL on luteal day 5.

Results

The clinical pregnancy rate was higher in the 1200 mg group than in the 900 mg group. The mean serum progesterone level on luteal day 5 in the 1200 mg and 900 mg groups was 12.6 ng/mL and 13.4 ng/mL, respectively. The rate of additional progesterone supplementation was higher in the 1200 mg group. A logistic regression analysis identified a younger age (≤37 years) and the use of 1200 mg progesterone as independent predictive factors for the clinical pregnancy outcome. The analysis of the infant outcomes revealed no significant difference in the distribution of birth ages and weights.

Conclusion

High‐dose transvaginal progesterone of 1200 mg/d as luteal support contributed to good pregnancy outcomes.     

Meta-analysis of the embryo freezing transfer interval

Background

The decision of whether frozen embryo transfer (FET) should be performed in the cycle immediately after OPU or at least one cycle later is controversial. FET could improve pregnancy rates in IVF; however, how much time is needed for the endometrium to return to optimal receptivity after ovarian stimulation is not known.

Methods

Electronic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify studies providing data on the influence of the interval between embryo freezing (or OPU) and FET in FET cycles published between January 1, 2007, and February 1, 2020.

Main findings

Data analyzed indicated that in the immediate FET cycles, there was a trend to an increased biochemical pregnancy rate (RR = 1.08; CI = 1.00-1.18), whereas the clinical pregnancy rate was somewhat higher, but without reaching statistical significance (RR = 1.07; CI = 0.99-1.15). The live birth rate was similar in the two groups (RR = 1.05; CI = 0.95-1.15), as was the implantation rate (RR = 0.98; CI = 0.83-1.16). Stratifying by embryo stage or FET type (freeze-all or FET after failed fresh transfer) showed no differences.

Conclusion

Systematically delaying FET does not offer benefits to IVF outcomes. In addition, immediate transfer is associated with a nonsignificant trend to better clinical pregnancy rate and it also avoids the psychological effects of prolonging the stress on prospective parents.

     

In vitro maturation of oocytes via the pre-fabricated self-assembled artificial human ovary

Purpose  

Create a 3-Dimensional artificial human ovary to mature human oocytes.     

Potassium bromate disrupts mitochondrial distribution within murine oocytes during in vitro maturation

Purpose

As disturbed mitochondrial distribution is thought to be a cause of the aging of oocytes, it was investigated whether oxidizing agents exert harmful effects on nuclear maturation and mitochondrial cluster formation in murine oocytes and whether antioxidants could rescue such harmful effects in vitro.

Methods

Oocytes were obtained from female Institute of Cancer Research mice 48 h after an intraperitoneal injection of 7.5 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin. The oocytes were cultured with potassium bromate, an oxidizing agent, in the presence or absence of the antioxidant, resveratrol. After 12 h, the nuclear phases and mitochondrial distribution were observed.

Results

Significantly decreased rates of metaphase II (MII) oocytes were observed with 750 μM and 1000 μM of potassium bromate, while a significant increase in abnormal mitochondrial clusters was induced at 500 μM, 750 μM, and 1,000 μM. The addition of 10 μM or 20 μM resveratrol improved both MII maturity and the cluster formation rates in the presence of potassium bromate.

Conclusions

The addition of potassium bromate reduced MII maturity rates and induced abnormal mitochondrial cluster formation. This effect was alleviated by the antioxidant, resveratrol. The in vitro model used herein is useful for investigating the functions of antioxidants in the aging of oocytes.     

Improved developmental potential of mouse vitrified-warmed oocytes achieved by culturing in recovery medium with glutathione ethyl ester (GSH-OEt)

Purpose

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of glutathione ethyl ester (GSH-OEt) in the recovery medium on the developmental competence of mouse vitrified-warmed MII oocytes.

Methods

Vitrified-warmed oocytes were incubated for 1 h in recovery medium in the presence or absence of 0.5 mM GSH-OEt. The authors examined the effects of GSH-OEt, first on the levels of glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitrified-warmed oocytes, and second, on in vitro blastocyst development, division speed to blastocysts, and total cell numbers of blastocysts from vitrified-warmed oocytes fertilized by Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Results

Adding GSH-OEt to the recovery medium significantly (p < 0.05) increased GSH content and decreased ROS levels in vitrified-warmed oocytes. The blastocyst rate did not differ significantly between the two groups, but the speed of development to blastocysts in the GSH-OEt (+) group was significantly more rapid. In addition, the total blastocyst cell number was significantly higher in the GSH-OEt (+) group than in the GSH-OEt (−) group (92.8 ± 5.1 vs. 71.4 ± 3.5, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Adding GSH-OEt to the recovery medium of vitrified-warmed mouse oocytes enhances the development potential of oocytes and improves the quality of blastocysts.

     

Nomogram of amniotic fluid volume at 7 to 10 + 6 weeks of pregnancy by three-dimensional ultrasonography using the rotational method (VOCAL)

Purpose  

To establish normative data for amniotic fluid volume (AFV) between 7 and 10 + 6 weeks gestation using three-dimensional ultrasonography (3DUS).     

Prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia due to <Emphasis Type="Italic">FGFR3</Emphasis> gene mutations: a 9-year experience

Purpose  

Prenatal diagnosis with ultrasound findings compatible with skeletal dysplasia due to FGFR3 mutations over a 9 year period in pregnancies and abortuses.     

A case of postpartum cerebral angiitis and review of the literature

Purpose  

To better characterize postpartum cerebral angiitis (PPCA).     

Evaluation of outcomes after transabdominal cervicoisthmic cerclage

Purpose  

To evaluate maternal and neonatal outcomes after transabdominal cerclage.     

Perinatal outcomes in condyloma acuminata pregnancies

Objective  

To investigate pregnancy outcome in patients with condyloma acuminata.     

Cellular proliferation in female pelvic organ prolapse: a pilot study

Purpose  

To assess cell proliferation in pelvic organ prolapse (POP).     

Transvaginal NOTES with semi-rigid and rigid endoscopes that allow adjustable viewing angles

Purpose  

To evaluate semi-rigid and rigid endoscopes for transvaginal NOTES surgery.     

Is genetic polymorphism of ER-α, CYP1A1, and CYP1B1 a risk factor for uterine leiomyoma?

Introduction  

Uterine leiomyoma is the most common benign smooth muscle tumor.     

Reproducibility of three-dimensional power Doppler placental vascular indices in pregnancies between 26 and 35 weeks

Purpose  

Assess intra and interobserver reproducibility of three-dimensional power Doppler (3DPD) placental vascular indices in normal pregnancies between 26 and 35 weeks.     

Huge lipoleiomyoma of the uterine cervix

Introduction  

Vulvar sarcomatoid squamous cell carcinoma has been rarely reported.     

Continuous versus interrupted episiotomy repair with monofilament or multifilament absorbed suture materials: a randomised controlled trial

Purpose  

To compare different repair techniques and different suture materials for episiotomy.     

Fetal loss associated with second trimester amniocentesis

Objective  

To evaluate the fetal loss rate associated with second trimester amniocentesis.     

Specific secretory phase endometrial leukocytes of women with two and more consecutive idiopathic abortions are not significantly different from healthy controls

Objective  

To analyze concentrations of endometrial leukocytes in patients with idiopathic-repeated abortions.