ART, IVF, follicular stimulation, fertility, infertility

The effect of late-follicular phase progesterone elevation (LFPE) during ovarian stimulation on reproductive outcomes in ART treatment remains controversial, but recent studies indicate lower pregnancy rates with rising progesterone levels. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of late-follicular phase progesterone elevation (LFPE) and possible impact on ongoing pregnancy rate after fresh or frozen blastocyst transfer in a sub-study setting of a randomised controlled trial. A total of 288 women were included (n=137 and n=151 in the fresh transfer and freeze-all group, respectively)...

CONTEXT: The effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on ovarian reserve markers in poor ovarian response (POR) is challenging. AIM: This systematic review and meta-analysis was, therefore, designed to evaluate the effectiveness of intra-ovarian injection of autologous PRP on improving ovarian reserve markers and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes in infertile women with POR. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted for the efficacy of intra-ovarian injection of autologous PRP on the improvement of ovarian reserve markers and ART outcomes in infertile women with POR...

The case study examined a 32-year-old female and her 35-year-old partner who had experienced infertility attributed to the wife's irregular ovulation. Despite the male partner demonstrating normal reproductive parameters, he had a medical history involving hypertension. The woman also had a history of hypertension and chikungunya, which was accompanied by fever and joint pain in 2019. Due to the woman's allergic reaction to traditional ovulation stimulatory medications, the approach to assisted reproductive technologies (ART) had shifted towards employing the short agonist stop (SAS) regimen...

Our main objective was to identify the male and female parameters associated with total fertilization failure (TFF) in IVF with nonmasculine indications. The present work, IRB equivalent INS 63209, is a case-control study that evaluated all cases with TFF after conventional IVF at the Center for Human Reproduction from January 2010 to December 2019 (n = 154). As a control group, we analyzed all patients who did not experience fertilization failure after conventional IVF in the same period (n = 475)...

OBJECTIVE: In this narrative review we discuss the current evidence as well as the knowledge gaps concerning assisted reproductive technology (ART) indications, protocols, and results in the presence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: An electronic literature search was performed for English-language publications in the last decade in databases such as PubMed, Medline, Web of Sciences, Embase and Scopus. RESULTS: We found evidence that ovarian steroidogenesis and folliculogenesis are deeply altered by PCOS but, nevertheless, oocyte quality and pregnancy rates following ART are not affected...

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous and complex reproductive endocrinological disease that could lead to infertility. There were many attempts to classify PCOS but it remains unclear whether there is a specific subgroup of PCOS that is associated with the best or worst reproductive outcomes of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). METHODS: Infertile PCOS patients who underwent their first cycle of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University from January 2019 to December 2021 were included...

Objectives: The goal of this study was to assess the effect of unilateral salpingectomy on the number of mature follicles in the ipsilateral ovary during an assisted reproductive technology (ART) stimulation cycle, as compared to the contralateral ovary. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center, case-control cohort study conducted from 2017 to 2022. Patients from 18 to 43 years old who underwent at least one ART cycle before and after a unilateral salpingectomy were included. The number of recruited follicles, including mature (≥16 mm) and intermediate follicles (13-15...

Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) is one of the most common endocrinopathies and is more prevalent in women. It becomes evident that the circulating antithyroid antibodies that often follow AITD have effects on many tissues, including ovaries, and therefore that this common morbidity might have an impact on female fertility, the investigation of which is the aim of the present research. Ovarian reserve, ovarian response to stimulation and early embryo development in infertile patients with thyroid autoimmunity were assessed in 45 women with thyroid autoimmunity and 45 age-matched control patients undergoing infertility treatment...

Secreted by the anterior pituitary gland, growth hormone (GH) is a peptide that plays a critical role in regulating cell growth, development, and metabolism in multiple targeted tissues. Studies have shown that GH and its functional receptor are also expressed in the female reproductive system, including the ovaries and uterus. The experimental data suggest putative roles for GH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, induced by GH activity) signaling in the direct control of multiple reproductive functions, including activation of primordial follicles, folliculogenesis, ovarian steroidogenesis, oocyte maturation, and embryo implantation...

BACKGROUND: Intentional endometrial injury is being proposed as a technique to improve the probability of pregnancy in women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Endometrial injury is often performed by pipelle biopsy and is a common gynaecological procedure with established safety. However, it causes a moderate degree of discomfort/pain and requires an additional pelvic examination. The effectiveness of this procedure outside of ART, in women or couples attempting to conceive via sexual intercourse or with intrauterine insemination (IUI), remains unclear...

The development of assisted reproductive technology has allowed offspring in infertile couples, and specifically, allowed infertile men to conceive through Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Despite the proven efficacy of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and ICSI, many factors can influence its success. In this review we present an analysis on the effect of Female age, Ovarian Reserve, Male age and Male factor on the outcomes of IVF/ICSI, to determine if and which can be applied to the practical context. A literature search on PubMed, EMBASE and MEDLINE for relevant articles was elaborated until July 2021, leading to the selection of 234 articles based on their titles...

Empty follicle syndrome (EFS) is a rare event in which no oocytes are retrieved from apparently normal growing follicles with normal steroidogenesis despite meticulous follicular aspiration in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles. EFS is mainly of two types, genuine EFS and false EFS. Here, we report a case of a 24-year-old woman presenting with primary infertility with normal ovarian reserve and regular menstrual cycles, husband having severe "oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia," and planned for ART treatment...

BACKGROUND: FOXL2 mutations in human cause Blepharophimosis, ptosis, and epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES). While type II BPES solely features eyelid abnormality, type I BPES involves not only eyelid but also ovary, leading to primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) and female infertility. Current mainstream reproductive option for type I BPES is embryo or oocyte donation. Attempts on assisted reproductive technology (ART) aiming biological parenthood in this population were sparse and mostly unsuccessful...

BACKGROUND: Advanced glycation end-products (AGE), which accumulate with insulin resistance and aging, impair folliculogenesis and may decrease endometrial receptivity. Hishi (Trapa bispinosa Roxb.) extract, a safe herbal medicine, strongly inhibits AGE formation in vitro. We determined whether Hishi lowers AGE and increases live births in older assisted reproductive technology (ART) patients. METHODS: This prospective randomized open-label controlled trial included 64 patients 38 to 42 years old undergoing ART with or without Hishi extract between June 11, 2015 and July 12, 2019...

Although there are large differences between horses and humans for reproductive anatomy, follicular dynamics, mono-ovulation, and embryo development kinetics until the blastocyst stage are similar. In contrast to humans, however, horses are seasonal animals and do not have a menstrual cycle. Moreover, horse implantation takes place 30 days later than in humans. In terms of artificial reproduction techniques (ART), oocytes are generally matured in vitro in horses because ovarian stimulation remains inefficient...

Background: This phase IV routine care study evaluated ovarian responses when using a biosimilar follitropin alfa r-hFSH (Bemfola® ) for controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment who were pituitary-suppressed with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, non-comparative, non-interventional study (Germany/Austria) was conducted with 885 women (Mean age of 34...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of luteal phase ovarian stimulation (LPS) on the outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for infertile couples and patients desiring non-urgent egg cryopreservation. METHODS: We included all studies reported patients who received LPS and that used follicular phase ovarian stimulation (FPS) as a comparison group until January 2021. Prior meta-analysis regarding the outcomes of LPS in double stimulation and fertility preservation have already been published, so these studies were excluded...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible impact of follicular flushing on the number of oocytes retrieved and oocytes in metaphase II in patients with poor ovarian response (POR) compared to direct aspiration. METHODS: This prospective, comparative, randomized single center study included 208 punctures of patients with POR, submitted to assisted reproduction technology (ART) treatments. Two groups were compared; one in which double lumen needles were used (Wallace DNS1733) for follicular flushing (n=105), and one in which single lumen needles were used (Wallace ONS1733) for direct aspiration (n=103), upon the observation of ≤ 5 follicles between 15-17 mm, ≤ 4 follicles with sizes greater than 18 mm on hCG day, and ≤ 7 recovered oocytes...

BACKGROUND: Intentional endometrial injury is being proposed as a technique to improve the probability of pregnancy in women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Endometrial injury is often performed by pipelle biopsy and is a common gynaecological procedure with established safety. However, it causes a moderate degree of discomfort/pain and requires an additional pelvic examination. The effectiveness of this procedure outside of ART, in women or couples attempting to conceive via sexual intercourse or with intrauterine insemination (IUI), remains unclear...

AIM: To compare the oocyte yield using three-dimensional (3D) automated and two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound-based follicle tracking in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Reproductive Medicine Unit of a teaching medical institute from January 2017 to December 2018. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 130 patients undergoing IVF-ET were enrolled and randomized into two groups (65 patients in each group)...