Effect of weight status on pregnancy outcome in intra cytoplasmic sperm injection

There has been an increase in number of obese infertile females booked for advanced infertility treatment procedures like in vitro fertilization [IVF] and intra cytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI]. The knowledge of impact of body mass index [BMI] on reproductive outcome can help to counsel these patients. To compare reproductive outcome in females of different BMI after ICSI. Cross-sectional study of 323 females was conducted from June 2010 till August 2011. Females were grouped on the basis of BMI; underweight, [BMI <18 kg/m[2]], normal weight, [BMI 18-22.9 kg/m[2]] overweight [BMI 23-25.9 kg/m[2]] and obese [BMI >/= 26 kg/m[2]]. The procedure involved down regulation of ovaries, controlled ovarian stimulation, ovulation induction by hCG, oocyte pickup, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer of blastocysts. The oocyte yield and embryological data of all BMI groups was compared by ANOVA [analysis of variance]. Pregnancy outcome of these was categorized as; no conception betahCG <5 m IU/ml, preclinical abortion with betahCG >5 m IU/ml, no cardiac activity on trans vaginal scan [TVS] and clinical pregnancy with betahCG >5mIU/ml and cardiac activity on trans vaginal scan. Females with BMI 23-25.99 kg/m[2] had maximum oocyte retrieval, fertilization, implantation and clinical pregnancy rates in comparison to obese females with BMI >/= 26 kg/m[2]. A BMI cut off value of above 26 kg/m[2] in our study population is associated with a negative impact on pregnancy outcome

Influence of steroid hormones in women with mild catamenial Epilepsy

In view of considerable differences of opinion regarding the reproductive steroid hormonal pathogenesis in catamenial epilepsy, hormonal analysis of estrogen and progesterone in catamenial epileptics for a precise correlation is of significant importance. Clinical, neurological and physiological assessments, and radioimmunoassay of plasma estradiol-17b and progesterone a day prior to the onset of menstruation were carried out in noncatamenial and mild catamenial epileptics having multiple frequency tonic-clonic [primary and secondary generalized] seizures. Highly significant rise [p > 0.0001] of estradiol-17b was obtained for catamenial epileptics compared to normal subjects as well as noncatamenial epileptics [p > 0.02]. However, nonsignificant fluctuations of progesterone were found for both catamenial and noncatamenial epileptics against normal subjects as well as catamenial versus noncatamenial epileptics. The present report suggests that estradiol have a precise role in the mild premenstrual exacerbation of seizures. However, no significant change in progesterone levels might have been due to mild exacerbation of seizures in these patients. Furthermore, we suggest the importance of how we collect and categorize the data and which pathophysiologic process/ clinicobiological mechanism is involved in patients with catamenial epilepsy. Contradictory results in literature may be related to differential levels of excitation/inhibition equilibrium during various cycle phases. More precise studies including the determination of the blood levels of antiepileptic drugs, however, are required