p63 expression in granulosa-luteinized cells of infertile patients with peritoneal endometriosis submitted to in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is associated with infertility, even without an anatomical abnormality. Furthermore, the peritoneal (mild) phenotype of this disease is the most prevalent and linked to infertility. The present study aimed to investigate the p63 gene and protein expression in granulosa cells from pre-ovulatory follicles in patients with endometriosis and infertility submitted to in vitro fertilization. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients participated in the study and were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of endometriosis. The p63 gene-expression levels assessment was performed by real-time PCR (qPCR) using the TaqMan assay, and we used immunofluorescence to check the p63 protein expression after IVF. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups regarding age, hormonal levels, oocyte standards, and p63 gene expression. The control group showed an RQ of 1.000 (0.431 to 2.323) and the study group showed an RQ of 0.725 (0.249 to 2.105), p>0.05. Both groups showed a weak expression of the p63 gene (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study described that endometriosis may not affect the p63 gene expression. Moreover, after follicular recruitment and growth, we found a weak expression of this protein, suggesting it is not part of oocyte maturation and development control.

Association of FSHR, LH, LHR, BMP15, GDF9, AMH, and AMHR polymorphisms with poor ovarian response in patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aimed to assess the correlation between LH, LHR, GDF9, FSHR, AMH, AMHR2, and BMP15 polymorphisms, which are related to follicular development, and decreased ovarian response in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for IVF. METHODS: This age-matched case-control study included three or four controls per woman undergoing COH. Controls were women with normal ovarian response (NOR) and cases were women with poor ovarian response (POR) in oocyte retrieval (three or fewer oocytes). DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and potential associations with gene polymorphisms related to follicular development (LH, LHR, GDF9, FSHR, AMH, AMHR2, and BMP15) were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients were included, 52 in the NOR and 14 in the POR group. Two GDF9 polymorphisms were associated with follicular response after COH, one associated with POR - the presence of a mutant polymorphism in heterozygosis and homozygosis of the GDF9 398-39 (C to G) [23% NOR versus 68% POR (OR 4.01, CI 1.52-10.6, p=0.005)] - and another associated with protective response - the presence of normal homozygosis of GDF9 (C447T) [19.2% NOR versus 50% POR (OR 0.34, IC 0.14-0.84, p=0.019)]. No additional associations were found between the other analyzed polymorphisms and POR. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that GDF9 appears to play an important role in follicular development, whereas polymorphisms in its DNA chain may negatively affect ovarian reserve, such as 398-39 (C to G), or positively, as seen in C447T.

GDF9 polymorphisms: influence on ovarian response in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation.

OBJECTIVE: The study looked into the possible influence of GDF9 polymorphisms on ovarian response in women with a normal ovarian reserve undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 67 women with normal ovarian reserve aged 30-39 years submitted to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF. We sequenced four polymorphisms in the GDF9 gene (C398G, C447T, G546A, and G646A) and analyzed their influence on follicular and oocyte outcomes. RESULTS: The mutant allele C398G decreased the total number of follicles >17mm (6.49 vs. 4.33, p=0.001), total number of follicles (10.11 vs. 7.33, p=0.032), number of MII oocytes retrieved, and serum progesterone levels on trigger day. The C447T polymorphism was associated with a greater number of follicles between 12 and 14 mm on the day of r-hCG, while the G546A polymorphism was associated with lower serum progesterone levels on trigger day. CONCLUSIONS: GDF9 gene polymorphisms C398G and C447T adversely affected ovarian response in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. These findings show that in addition to playing a role in the early stages of folliculogenesis, GDF9 polymorphisms have an important impact on the final stage of oocyte development.

A prospective study comparing two embryo-transfer soft catheters.

OBJECTIVES: To compare reproductive outcomes using two different soft catheters i.e. Set TDT® and Cook® Sydney IVF. The primary outcome was defined as a positive ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) test. METHODS: Our prospective study recruited 68 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization cycles in a private fertility clinic in Porto Alegre, Brazil, between January 2014 and April 2016. They were divided into two groups according to the catheter that would be used for the embryo transfer, and the groups were matched by age. The total number of patients in each group was: 34 for the TDT and 34 for the Cook Sydney. All the patients were submitted to a ß-hCG test 12 days after the embryo transfer for pregnancy outcome evaluation. RESULTS: Ten out of 34 patients from the TDT group had a positive outcome for pregnancy, corresponding to 29.4%. The Cook Sydney group had 9 patients out of 34 with positive outcomes, corresponding to 26.5%. Comparing the efficacy of both catheters for the primary outcome, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the TDT and the Cook Sydney catheters. CONCLUSION: The TDT and the Cook Sydney catheters efficacies were similar for embryo transfer during assisted reproductive technology cycles.

LH (Trp8Arg/Ile15Thr), LHR (insLQ) and FSHR (Asn680Ser) polymorphisms genotypic prevalence in women with endometriosis and infertility.

PURPOSE: To verify if polymorphisms of LH (Trp8Arg/Ile15Thr), LH receptor (insLQ), and FSH receptor (Asn680Ser) are associated with endometriosis and infertility. METHODS: This is a prospective case-control study. Sixty-seven patients with endometriosis and infertility (study group) and 65 healthy fertile patients (control group) were enrolled in the study between July 2010 and July 2013. All patients had their endometriosis diagnosis made or excluded by laparoscopic surgery; study group was submitted to the surgery for infertility investigation and control group for tubal ligation. Day-3 serum hormones were collected from all patients. Analysis of nucleotide mutations for LH polymorphisms (Trp8Arg and Ile15Thr), LHR polymorphism (insLQ), and FSHR polymorphism (Asn680Ser) were performed by PCR. RESULTS: Day-3 FSH, estradiol and LH serum levels were not different between the groups, while CA-125 was higher in patients with endometriosis and infertility. All polymorphisms studied were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The prevalence of insLQ was significantly higher in patients with endometriosis and infertility (P = 0.005). Allele occurrence in control group was 0.10 versus 0.25 in infertile endometriosis group (P = 0.001). There was no difference regarding Trp8Arg/Ile15Thr (P > 0.05) and Asn680Ser (P > 0.05) prevalence between groups. CONCLUSION: This is the first time that prevalence of insLQ was shown to be higher in patients with endometriosis and infertility than in healthy fertile patients. There was no difference in LH and FSHR polymorphisms' prevalence between groups.