ABSTRACT
Objective@#Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a fertility problem for which no exact mechanism of abortion or efficient treatment has been described. This study was conducted between 2018 and 2019 to investigate the effectiveness of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in improving the live birth rate of women with RPL who required in vitro fertilization (IVF). @*Methods@#A total of 63 patients with at least two previous pregnancy losses and no specific cause detected for the RPL were included and randomly assigned into two groups (PRP and control). Intrauterine infusion of 0.5 mL of autologous PRP was performed 48 hours before embryo transfer in the PRP group. Women in the control group received standard treatment. @*Results@#Forty patients completed the study. The baseline and cycle characteristics of the participants did not differ significantly between the PRP and control groups. The clinical pregnancy rate was higher in the PRP group (35% vs. 20%, P=0.288). The live birth rate was 15% in the PRP group, but no live births were recorded in the control group (P=0.231). @*Conclusion@#This is the first study to show that intrauterine infusion of PRP in patients with RPL who undergo IVF may increase the chance of live birth.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND@#The dietary habits and lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic could affect the urinary risk factors in kidney stone formers. In this study, we investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on 24-h urine metabolites, as a surrogate for dietary intake, in patients with kidney stones, in Tehran, Iran.@*METHODS@#We evaluated the medical records of all patients with urolithiasis who visited in our stone prevention clinic from the beginning of COVID-19 in Iran to 1 year later (Feb 2020-Feb 2021) and compared it with the patients' medical records in the same period a year before COVID-19 (Feb 2019-Feb 2020).@*RESULTS@#The results of our stone prevention clinic showed a decrease in the number of visits during COVID-19. Twenty-four-hour urine urea, sodium, and potassium were significantly lower, and 24-h urine magnesium was significantly higher during COVID-19. Higher 24-h urine oxalate was only shown in patients with the first-time visit, whereas lower 24-h urine uric acid and citrate were only shown in patients with the follow-up visits.@*CONCLUSIONS@#COVID-19 pandemics may change some of the dietary habits of the patients, including lower salt, protein, and fruit and vegetable intake. Although economic issues, restricted access, or sanitation issues may be the reason for the undesirable dietary changes, the importance of a quality diet should be discussed with all patients, as possible. Since the number of patients visited in the stone clinic was lower during COVID-19, virtual visits could be an excellent alternative to motivate patients with kidney stones.