Free androgen index (FAI)'s relations with oxidative stress and insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome.

This study aimed to determine the levels of the free androgen index (FAI) and its association with oxidative stress and insulin resistance (IR) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This cross-sectional study was performed on 160 women aged 18-45 years, visiting gynecology clinics of Urmia in northwestern Iran during 2020-2021 who were diagnosed with PCOS and exhibited one of the four phenotypes of PCOS. All the participants underwent clinical examinations, paraclinical tests, and ultrasounds. FAI cut-off point was considered to be 5%. The significance level was set at < 0.05. Among the 160 participants, the prevalence of the four phenotypes was as follows: phenotype A: 51.9%, phenotype B: 23.1%, phenotype C: 13.1%, and phenotype D: 11.9%. High FAI was detected in 30 participants (18.75%). Additionally, It was found that phenotype C had the highest FAI levels among the PCOS phenotypes, with a significant difference between phenotypes A and C (p value = 0.03). IR was observed in 119 (74.4%) of the participants, and the median (interquartile range: IQR) of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels among the participants was 0.64 (0.86) µM/L. In linear regression, the PCOS phenotype (standard beta = 0.198, p-value = 0.008), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (standard beta = 0.213, p-value = 0.004), and MDA levels (standard beta = 0.266, p-value < 0.001) were significantly related to the FAI level, but the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was not statistically associated with FAI. Thus, in this study, PCOS phenotypes and MDA levels (an indicator of stress oxidative) were significantly related to FAI, but HOMA-IR (the indicator of IR) was not associated with it.

Salpingo Enteric Fistula: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Few cases with fistulous communication between the GI system and female adnexal structure have been reported in the literature, and bilateral contrast spillage has been reported only in one case, and this case is the second one all over the world. CASE PRESENTATION: The case was a 27-year-old woman with a diagnosis of primary infertility. She was booked with hysterosalpingogram (HSG) as part of the routine workup in the infertility clinic. There was a positive history of pelvic surgery for bilateral adnexal cysts for her in 2014. In this case, previous pelvic surgery without any medical problems was the strongest risk factor for tubo-intestinal fistula. Cystectomy performed for the left adnexal cyst and the right adnexal cyst was only drained. The pathologic report for the left ovarian cyst was endometriosis. HSG result showed evidence of bilateral fallopian tube opacification with contrast outlining from the fallopian tubes. Contrast leakage happened to the adjacent small intestine in the right side and peritoneal cavity on the left side. CONCLUSION: Fistulous connections between fallopian tube and intestine will remain an exceptional rarity. The reported case could be a good lesson illustrating that the adherence to general surgical principles (meticulous hemostasis, careful applying of diathermy, etc.) and a watchful postoperative care could protect the patient from both usual and unusual complications.

N-acetyl cysteine in ovulation induction of PCOS women underwent intrauterine insemination: An RCT.

BACKGROUND: N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) was proposed as an adjuvant to clomiphene citrate for ovulation induction in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) without clomiphene citrate resistance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of NAC on pregnancy rate in PCOS patients who were candidates for intrauterine insemination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical trial, 97 PCOS women aged 18-38 years were enrolled in two groups, randomly. For the case group (n=49), NAC (1.2 gr)+ clomiphene citrate (100 mg) + letrozole (5mg) were prescribed daily from the third day of menstruation cycle for five days. The control group (n=48) had the same drug regimen without NAC. In order to follicular development, recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone (r-hFSH; Gonal-F®) was injected on days of 7-11 menstrual cycles in all participants. When the follicle size was 18mm or more, 10000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin was injected intramuscular and the intrauterine insemination was performed after 34-36 hr. RESULTS: There were not significant differences between study groups regarding mean endometrial thickness (p=0.14), the mean number of mature follicles (p=0.20), and the pregnancy rate (p=0.09). CONCLUSION: NAC is ineffective in inducing or augmenting ovulation in PCOS patients who were candidates for intrauterine insemination and cannot be recommended as an adjuvant to CC in such patients.

Association of Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Ectopic Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the importance of cytokine type in embryo implantation in uterus specified and activated macrophages interfere the tube movements and embryo retention in uterine tubes by smooth muscle relaxation and disrupting ciliary function. Therefore, increased risk of infection with HP during pregnancy, we investigated relation between Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection and prevalence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) in this study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is cross-sectional study from March 2012 to May 2013. Totally 207 women were enrolled randomly from which 101 had EP (Case group) and 106 were selected as control group with normal pregnancy. A 2-cc blood sample was taken from each patient to evaluate the specific IgG titer by ELISA method. All results of samples with positive H. pylori IgG were assayed for anti-CagA, IgG antibodies. A questionnaire was filled for each subject. The associations between CagA positive cases with odds of Ectopic pregnancy incidence were analyzed by using SPSS software, ver. 19 (Chicago, IL, USA). RESULTS: Mean (± SD) of age were 21.0 ± 5.78 and 30.78 ± 5.10 years for cases and controls group respectively. These groups didn't show any significance difference in age and parity.H. pylori IgG antibodies were positive among 99 and 103 (98.2% vs. 97.2%) in women with EP and normal pregnancy respectively. Relationship between IgG status and EP was not significant (OR = 1.31: 95% CI = 0.7-2.52, Pvalue = 0.37). In particular anti-CagA antibodies were positive among 45 and 39(45.92% vs. 36.97%) in women with EP and normal pregnancy respectively. Among women with CagA positive strains had higher odds of Ep (OR = 1.46: 95% CI = 0.8-2.65, Pvalue = 0.18), but it wasn't significant. CONCLUSION: According to the result of this study there was not any association between HP infection and Ectopic pregnancy. We recommend more studies with larger sample size for determining the effect of CagA positive strains on EP.

Fixed versus Flexible Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Antagonist Protocol in Controlled Ovarian Stimulation for Invitro Fertilization in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to compare the results of fixed versus flexible GnRH antagonist protocols in controlled ovarian stimulation for Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) in patients with PCOS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized clinical trial was performed on 100 PCOS women, who were admitted to a tertiary infertility clinic and were candidate for IVF/ICSI. They were divided into two groups based on the GnRH antagonist protocol. We started GnRH antagonist 0.25mg in flexible protocol when a follicle ≥ 14 mm in diameter was seen in transvaginalsonography (Group 1). In fixed protocol, GnRH antagonist was administered from day 6 of stimulation (Group 2). Number of oocytes in methapase 2, number of developed and frozen embryo as main outcome and days of stimulation, number of gonadotropin and antagonist used assecondry outcome measures were assessed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The days of stimulation and the number of antagonist used was not significantly different between fixed and flexible group (p ≥ 0.05).Although the number of gonadotropin injections was significantly lower in flexible group (p = 0.03), the number of oocyte retrieved and the number of embryo which cryopreserved was significantly higher in flexible compared to fixed protocol (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: It seems using flexible antagonist protocol in PCOS infertile patients is in favor of better outcomes in terms of number of good quality oocytes and embryo and possibility for cryopreservation for future cycles.