Expression of DJ-1 and mTOR in eutopic and ectopic endometria of patients with endometriosis and adenomyosis.

OBJECTIVE: Endometrial cells may aberrantly express molecules involved in invasion and migration, leading to endometriosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of DJ-1 and phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) in ectopic and eutopic endometria of endometriosis and adenomyosis. METHODS: Endometrial specimens were obtained from healthy non-menopausal women (n = 17) or patients with ovarian endometriotic cysts (n = 48) or adenomyosis (n = 30) during January 2011 to June 2012. The expressions of DJ-1 and p-mTOR were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting methods. RESULTS: The expressions of DJ-1 and p-mTOR were significantly higher in the ectopic endometria than those in the eutopic endometria of endometriosis and adenomyosis patients or normal endometria (FDR < 0.05). DJ-1 expression was positively correlated with the p-mTOR expression no matter at endometriosis (r = 0.736, FDR < 0.001) or adenomyosis (r = 0.809, FDR < 0.001). CONCLUSION: DJ-1 protein may be involved in endometrial cells proliferation, migration and angiogenesis by modulating the PI3K/Akt/p-mTOR signaling pathway, which provides an underlying theoretical target for endometriosis and adenomyosis.

[Gonadotrophin dose and ovarian response: relations to the clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of gonadotrophin (Gn) dose and ovarian response with the clinical outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). METHODS: Patients undergoing IVF-ET with Gn stimulation for no more than 15 days were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into 3 groups, namely group A (390 cycles) with total Gn dose :3375 IU and retrieved oocytes:4, group B (64 cycles) with total Gn dose :3375 IU and retrieved oocytes < or =3, and group C (97 cycles) with total Gn dose< or =3300 IU and retrieved oocytes< or =3. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of these 3 groups were comparatively analyzed. RESULTS: The clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate were 38.8% and 32.5% in group A, 16.7% and 10.4% in group B, and 27.3% and 23.4% in group C, respectively. The follicle number, oocyte number, number of embryo transferred, peak serum E2 level, clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate were significantly higher in group A than in groups B and C (P<0.05). Groups B and C had similar follicle number, oocyte number, and number of available embryos, but group C had significantly lower total Gn dose (P<0.05); the peak serum E2 level, clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate were lower in group B than in group C, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients receiving a relatively low dose of Gn with smaller number of retrieved oocytes, Gn dose increment can improve the clinical pregnancy rate and delivery rate, suggesting a state of relatively poor ovarian response or mild ovarian reserve decrease; failure of increasing the number of oocytes retrieved with greater Gn dose suggests severely decreased ovarian responsiveness or ovarian reserve and also poor clinical prognosis.

[Influence of chronic HBV infection in the husband on the outcome of IVF-ET treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in couples with the husband positive for chronic infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV). METHODS: This study involved 102 infertile couples receiving IVF-ET with the husbands(but not the wives) positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and another 204 couples negative for HBsAg receiving the treatment served as the control group. The cumulative embryo score, fertilization rate, cleavage rate, rate of good quality embryos, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, first trimester and late miscarriage rates, delivery rate, and neonatal malformation rate were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Between the HBsAg-positive and the control groups, the cumulative embryo score (52.8-/+18.7 vs 55.4-/+16.9), insemination rate (66.9% vs 66.1%), cleavage rate (97.6% vs 97.2%), rate of good quality embryos (34.0% vs 37.1%), implantation rate (40.9% vs 34.6%), clinical pregnancy rate (56.9% vs 50%), first trimester miscarriage rate (6.9% vs 5.9%) and late pregnancy miscarriage rate (8.6% vs 4.9%), delivery rate (40.2% vs 43.6%) and neonatal malformation rate (0 vs 0) were all similar (P>0.05;). CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV infection in the husband might not affect the outcome of IVF-ET treatment.