Relationship between human chorionic gonadotropin serum levels and the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

The object of this retrospective cohort study was to determine if hCG levels correlate with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) risk after adjustment for other risk factors during in vitro fertilization (IVF). We measured serum hCG approximately 12 h after hCG trigger in women undergoing 406 cycles of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF between June 2006 and December 2009. Serum hCG levels were measured 12 h after trigger. Bivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association between patient and cycle characteristics and OHSS. In our series, mild to moderate OHSS occurred in 9% (38/406), and severe OHSS diagnosed in 1.5% (6/406) of IVF cycles. OHSS risk was increased in younger women (<30 years old: adjusted odds ratio: aOR 2.46, 95% confidence interval: CI 1.14-5.34), increased number of oocytes (11-20: aOR 6.79, 95% CI 1.97-23.40; >20: aOR 17.55, 95% CI 4.84-63.70), and increase E2 levels (≥3,000 pg/mL: aOR 2.59, 95% CI 1.33-5.05), but was unrelated to hCG level (100-200 IU/L: aOR 1.53, 95% CI 0.60-3.91; ≥200 IU/L: aOR 1.42 95% CI 0.48-4.20). These results indicate that OHSS risk during IVF is unrelated to serum hCG level measured approximately 12 h after trigger.

Sperm banking for fertility preservation: a 20-year experience.

OBJECTIVE: Sperm banking is an effective method to preserve fertility, but is not universally offered to males facing gonadotoxic treatment in the United States. We compared the disposition and semen parameters of cryopreserved sperm from individuals referred for sperm banking secondary to a cancer diagnosis to those of sperm from men banking for infertility reasons. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective cohort study that reviewed 1118 records from males who presented to bank sperm at Washington University between 1991 and 2010. We collected and analyzed demographics, semen parameters, and disposition of banked sperm. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-three men with cancer and 348 banking for infertility reasons attempted sperm cryopreservation in our unit during the specified time period. The most prevalent cancers in our cohort were testicular (32%), lymphoma (25%), and leukemia (11%). Patients with leukemia had the lowest pre-thaw counts and motility. Most cancer patients (57%) who banked elected to use, transfer to another facility, or keep their specimens in storage. The remaining samples were discarded electively (34%) or following death (8%). Overall semen parameters were similar between the cancer and infertility groups, but demographics, ability to bank a sample, azoospermia rates, length of storage, current banking status, and use of banked sperm differed significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of cancer patients who banked survived their cancer and chose to continue storage of banked samples. Cancer patients were more likely than infertility patients to use or continue storage of banked samples. Our study provides evidence that sperm banking is a utilized modality of fertility preservation in patients with a myriad of cancer diagnoses and should be offered to all men facing gonadotoxic therapies. Further work is needed to determine where disparities in access to sperm banking exist to improve the potential for future fertility in these males.

Estrogen receptor (ER) expression and function in the pregnant human myometrium: estradiol via ERα activates ERK1/2 signaling in term myometrium.

Estrogens are thought to promote labor by increasing the expression of pro-contraction genes in myometrial cells. The specific estrogen receptors ((ERs: ERα and ERß (also known as ESR1 and ESR2)) and G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30; also known as G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1)) and signaling pathways that mediate these actions are not clearly understood. In this study, we identified the ERs expressed in the pregnant human myometrium and determined a key extranuclear signaling pathway through which estradiol (E(2)) modulates expression of the gene encoding the oxytocin receptor (OXTR), a major pro-contraction protein. Using quantitative RT-PCR, we found that ERα and GPR30 mRNAs were expressed in the human pregnant myometrium while ERß mRNA was virtually undetectable. While mRNA encoding ERα was the predominant ER transcript in the pregnant myometrium, ERα protein was largely undetectable in myometrial tissue by immunoblotting. Pharmacological inhibition of 26S proteasome activity increased ERα protein abundance to detectable levels in term myometrial explants, however, indicating rapid turnover of ERα protein by proteasomal processing in the pregnant myometrium. E(2) stimulated rapid extranuclear signaling in myometrial explants, as evidenced by increased extracellularly regulated kinase (ERK1/2) phosphorylation within 10 min. This effect was inhibited by pre-treatment with an ER antagonist, ICI 182 780, indicating the involvement of ERα. Inhibition of ERK signaling abrogated the ability of E(2) to stimulate OXTR gene expression in myometrial explants. We conclude that estrogenic actions in the human myometrium during pregnancy, including the stimulation of contraction-associated gene expression, can be mediated by extranuclear signaling through ERα via activation of the ERK/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.