Project description:Female subfertility is a growing concern, especially in view of an increasing prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) offer a perspective for pregnancy, but the outcome rate is still suboptimal. The trace elements (TE), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) are essential for fertility and development. We hypothesized that TE concentrations are related to oocyte quality and growth and affect pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing ART. Concentrations of TE were measured by total reflection X-ray fluorescence. Extracellular glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPX3) and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) were determined as additional Se biomarkers. Corresponding serum and follicular fluid (FF) samples were available from women with (n = 20) and without (n = 20) PCOS diagnosis undergoing hormone treatment within the ART procedure, respectively, and FF samples were classified into five groups based on morphological assessment. Serum showed higher TE concentrations than FF, and TE levels correlated positively between both matrices. Individual FF from the same women showed surprisingly high variability in TE concentration, and follicles without oocytes displayed the lowest TE concentrations. Both Se biomarkers GPX3 and SELENOP were present in FF and correlated positively to Se concentrations. Some notable relationships were observed between morphokinetic parameters, TE concentrations, and GPX3 activity. A slightly depressed serum Zn concentration was observed in PCOS. Our results indicate a direct relationship between TE in serum and FF, positive correlations between the three Se biomarkers in FF, and high variability between the FF from the same woman with the lowest TE concentrations in the follicles with the poorest quality. The differences observed in relation to PCOS diagnoses appear relatively minor. Collectively, the data support the notion that TE assessment of follicles may contribute to optimal oocyte selection and subsequently influence ART success.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a serious complication of assisted reproductive technology (ART). However, there is no acknowledged mathematical model for predicting EP in the ART population. OBJECTIVE:The goal of the research was to establish a model to tailor treatment for women with a higher risk of EP. METHODS:From December 2015 to July 2016, we retrospectively included 1703 women whose serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels were positive on day 21 (hCG21) after fresh embryo transfer. Multivariable multinomial logistic regression was used to predict EP, intrauterine pregnancy (IUP), and biochemical pregnancy (BCP). RESULTS:The variables included in the final predicting model were (hCG21, ratio of hCG21/hCG14, and main cause of infertility). During evaluation of the model, the areas under the receiver operating curve for IUP, EP, and BCP were 0.978, 0.962, and 0.999, respectively, in the training set, and 0.963, 0.942, and 0.996, respectively, in the validation set. The misclassification rates were 0.038 and 0.045, respectively, in the training and validation sets. Our model classified the whole in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer population into four groups: first, the low-risk EP group, with incidence of EP of 0.52% (0.23%-1.03%); second, a predicted BCP group, with incidence of EP of 5.79% (1.21%-15.95%); third, a predicted undetermined group, with incidence of EP of 28.32% (21.10%-35.53%), and fourth, a predicted high-risk EP group, with incidence of EP of 64.11% (47.22%-78.81%). CONCLUSIONS:We have established a model to sort the women undergoing ART into four groups according to their incidence of EP in order to reduce the medical resources spent on women with low-risk EP and provide targeted tailor-made treatment for women with a higher risk of EP.
Project description:Influence of ovarian stimulation with 200 IU of hCG, (administered in the late follicular phase among ICSI patients undergoing a GnRH-antagonist protocol), on the endometrium on the day of oocyte pick-up. The purpose of the present study is to assess the influence of the administration of low dose hCG on the endometrium. In addition, by analysing the correlation of the morphological pattern and gene expression profile of human endometrium on the day of oocyte retrieval in patients of both treatment groups, we want to study the implantation potential. Keywords: gene expression analysis
Project description:Influence of ovarian stimulation with 200 IU of hCG, (administered in the late follicular phase among ICSI patients undergoing a GnRH-antagonist protocol), on the endometrium on the day of oocyte pick-up. The purpose of the present study is to assess the influence of the administration of low dose hCG on the endometrium. In addition, by analysing the correlation of the morphological pattern and gene expression profile of human endometrium on the day of oocyte retrieval in patients of both treatment groups, we want to study the implantation potential. Keywords: gene expression analysis In total 10 samples from patients without pregnancy following embryo transfer were analyzed for gene expression analysis with microarrays, 5 patients from group A (rFSH group) and 5 patients from group B (hCG group) were compared
Project description:To analyze the cycle outcomes and the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), when oocyte maturation was triggered by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) versus human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in breast cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation.One hundred twenty-nine women aged???45 years, diagnosed with stage???3 breast cancer, with normal ovarian reserve who desired fertility preservation were included in the retrospective cohort study. Ovarian stimulation was achieved utilizing letrozole and gonadotropins. Oocyte maturation was triggered with GnRHa or hCG. Baseline AMH levels, number of oocytes, maturation and fertilization rates, number of embryos, and the incidence of OHSS was recorded.The serum AMH levels were similar between GnRHa and hCG groups (2.7?±?1.9 vs. 2.1?±?1.8; p?=?0.327). There was one case of mild or moderate OHSS in the GnRHa group compared to 12 in the hCG group (2.1 % vs. 14.4 %, p?=?0.032). The maturation and fertilization rates, and the number of cryopreserved embryos were significantly higher in the GnRHa group.GnRHa trigger improved cycle outcomes as evidenced by the number of mature oocytes and cryopreserved embryos, while significantly reducing the risk of OHSS in breast cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation.
Project description:Human luteinizing hormone (hLH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are human glycoprotein hormones each consisting of two subunits, an identical ?-subunit and a unique ?-subunit, that form noncovalent heterodimers. Structurally, ?-hCG shares a high degree of sequence similarity with ?-hLH, including a common N-glycosylation site at the N-terminus but differs mainly in the presence of an extended C-terminal portion incorporating four closely spaced O-linked glycans. These glycoproteins play important roles in reproduction and are used clinically in the treatment of infertility. In addition, the role of hCG as a tumor marker in a variety of cancers has also attracted significant interest for the development of cancer vaccines. In clinical applications, these hormones are administered as mixtures of glycoforms due to limitations of biological methods in producing homogeneous samples of these glycoproteins. Using the powerful tools of chemical synthesis, the work presented herein focuses on the highly convergent syntheses of homogeneous ?-hLH and ?-hCG bearing model glycans at all native glycosylation sites. Key steps in these syntheses include a successful double Lansbury glycosylation en route to the N-terminal fragment of ?-hCG and the sequential installation of four O-linked glycosyl-amino acid cassettes into closely spaced O-glycosylation sites in a single, high-yielding solid-supported synthesis to access the C-terminal portion of the molecule. The final assembly of the individual glycopeptide fragments involved a stepwise native chemical ligation strategy to provide the longest and most complex human glycoprotein hormone (?-hCG) as well as its closely related homologue (?-hLH) as discrete glycoforms.