Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the presence of endometrial polyps (EP) on pregnancy rates and... more Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the presence of endometrial polyps (EP) on pregnancy rates and how polypectomy could affect pregnancy rates in women scheduled for intrauterine insemination (IUI). Methods: The study included patients who had attended the Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Athens from April 2003 to October 2008 for infertility treatment and were candidates for IUI. In these women the presence of an endometrial polyp had been already diagnosed during the infertility evaluation. The study group consisted of 86 women who, following the diagnosis of endometrial polyp, had agreed to have the polyps removed hysteroscopically prior to the IUI. The control group consisted of 85 women, who despite the fact that the presence of an endometrial polyp had been previously diagnosed and its removal suggested, elected not to have the polyp removed. We used statistical analysis to check what effect the removal of the polyp had on the total number of pregnancies. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative pregnancy rates between the two groups. The group that underwent polyp removal had higher pregnancy rates as compared to the one that the polyps were left intact. Conclusions: We propose that hysteroscopic polypectomy of any size appears to improve fertility in women with otherwise unexplained infertility.
Introduction: Visfatin is involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, with a poss... more Introduction: Visfatin is involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, with a possible role in spermatogenesis. We investigated seminal plasma visfatin levels and its possible correlations with sperm parameters (concentration, motility, morphology) and BMI. Materials and methods: We included 79 semen samples obtained from men from infertile couples presenting for sperm analysis. The samples were divided into 2 groups: a group of 35 samples with normal sperm parameters and another group of 44 samples with at least one abnormal sperm parameter. Seminal plasma visfatin levels were determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Demographic data and body mass index (BMI) were similar in our subjects. As expected, the sperm parameters were significantly different between the 2 groups we studied. Visfatin levels did not differ between groups (66.6 ng/ml in normal samples and 72.7 ng/ml in abnormal samples, p=0.114) and did not correl...
Vitrification is an excellent tool in the IVF laboratory, enabling options and offering flexibili... more Vitrification is an excellent tool in the IVF laboratory, enabling options and offering flexibility in assisted reproduction. The technology of cryopreservation has been underway since the early 20th century. The advent of vitrification has advanced the expectations in routine clinical practice in the IVF laboratory presenting impressive results both in post-thaw survival, and in clinical pregnancy rates, as well as significantly enhancing clinical results on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Contradicting opinions have been published recently on the limitations and potential that vitrification has in the laboratory, as well as on the optimal approach to employ vitrification in IVF. This review aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the practical aspects of vitrification including concerns and options regarding its use on oocytes and embryos while comparing it with the traditional “slow-freezing” cryopreservation technique
Endometriosis-related infertility describes a case of deteriorated fecundity when endometriosis i... more Endometriosis-related infertility describes a case of deteriorated fecundity when endometriosis is diagnosed. Numerous mechanisms have been proposed in an effort to delineate the multifaceted pathophysiology that induces impairment of reproductive dynamics in patients with endometriosis. In this critical analysis, authors present the plethora of molecular events that are entailed and elaborate on how they potentially impair the oocyte’s and embryo’s competence in patients with endometriosis. Reactive oxygen species, dysregulation of the immune system and cellular architectural disruption constitute the crucial mechanisms that detrimentally affect oocyte and embryo developmental potential. The molecular level impairment of the reproductive tissue is discussed, since differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis constitute focal regulatory cellular functions that appear severely compromised in cases of endometriosis. Mapping the precise molecular mechanisms entailed in endometriosis-re...
The present study was undertaken to investigate the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, M... more The present study was undertaken to investigate the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-2 and TIMP-1, respectively) in the follicular fluid of 39 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and compare them with the levels found in 56 age- and weight-matched normally ovulating women, all undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. Significantly higher levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (p=0.02 and p<0.001, respectively) as well as TIMP-2 and TIMP-1 (p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively) were found in the PCOS group compared to controls. Women who achieved pregnancy had higher TIMP-1 levels compared to the non-pregnant ones in the control group (p=0.01). In conclusion, women with PCOS exhibited significantly increased gelatinolytic activity compared with controls of similar age and body mass index, thus indicating a more intense extracellular matrix remodelling in this group of patients during IVF treatment due to multiple follicula...
This study aimed to detect the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9, using enzyme-l... more This study aimed to detect the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, in the follicular fluid of 35 patients with polycystic ovaries, compare them with the levels found in 35 normally ovulating women enrolled in their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle and then correlate them with pregnancy rates in these two groups. Levels of MMP-9 were found significantly increased in women with polycystic ovaries when compared with the controls, while MMP-2 levels were higher in women with polycystic ovaries without reaching statistical significance. The two groups did not differ in age, in the number of embryos transferred or in pregnancy rates. In conclusion, the results indicated an increased gelatinolytic activity in patients with polycystic ovaries after ovarian stimulation for IVF treatment without detecting any association between levels of MMP-2 and 9 and IVF pregnancy rates.
Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the presence of endometrial polyps (EP) on pregnancy rates and... more Purpose: To evaluate the effect of the presence of endometrial polyps (EP) on pregnancy rates and how polypectomy could affect pregnancy rates in women scheduled for intrauterine insemination (IUI). Methods: The study included patients who had attended the Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Athens from April 2003 to October 2008 for infertility treatment and were candidates for IUI. In these women the presence of an endometrial polyp had been already diagnosed during the infertility evaluation. The study group consisted of 86 women who, following the diagnosis of endometrial polyp, had agreed to have the polyps removed hysteroscopically prior to the IUI. The control group consisted of 85 women, who despite the fact that the presence of an endometrial polyp had been previously diagnosed and its removal suggested, elected not to have the polyp removed. We used statistical analysis to check what effect the removal of the polyp had on the total number of pregnancies. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in cumulative pregnancy rates between the two groups. The group that underwent polyp removal had higher pregnancy rates as compared to the one that the polyps were left intact. Conclusions: We propose that hysteroscopic polypectomy of any size appears to improve fertility in women with otherwise unexplained infertility.
Introduction: Visfatin is involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, with a poss... more Introduction: Visfatin is involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, with a possible role in spermatogenesis. We investigated seminal plasma visfatin levels and its possible correlations with sperm parameters (concentration, motility, morphology) and BMI. Materials and methods: We included 79 semen samples obtained from men from infertile couples presenting for sperm analysis. The samples were divided into 2 groups: a group of 35 samples with normal sperm parameters and another group of 44 samples with at least one abnormal sperm parameter. Seminal plasma visfatin levels were determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: Demographic data and body mass index (BMI) were similar in our subjects. As expected, the sperm parameters were significantly different between the 2 groups we studied. Visfatin levels did not differ between groups (66.6 ng/ml in normal samples and 72.7 ng/ml in abnormal samples, p=0.114) and did not correl...
Vitrification is an excellent tool in the IVF laboratory, enabling options and offering flexibili... more Vitrification is an excellent tool in the IVF laboratory, enabling options and offering flexibility in assisted reproduction. The technology of cryopreservation has been underway since the early 20th century. The advent of vitrification has advanced the expectations in routine clinical practice in the IVF laboratory presenting impressive results both in post-thaw survival, and in clinical pregnancy rates, as well as significantly enhancing clinical results on preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Contradicting opinions have been published recently on the limitations and potential that vitrification has in the laboratory, as well as on the optimal approach to employ vitrification in IVF. This review aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the practical aspects of vitrification including concerns and options regarding its use on oocytes and embryos while comparing it with the traditional “slow-freezing” cryopreservation technique
Endometriosis-related infertility describes a case of deteriorated fecundity when endometriosis i... more Endometriosis-related infertility describes a case of deteriorated fecundity when endometriosis is diagnosed. Numerous mechanisms have been proposed in an effort to delineate the multifaceted pathophysiology that induces impairment of reproductive dynamics in patients with endometriosis. In this critical analysis, authors present the plethora of molecular events that are entailed and elaborate on how they potentially impair the oocyte’s and embryo’s competence in patients with endometriosis. Reactive oxygen species, dysregulation of the immune system and cellular architectural disruption constitute the crucial mechanisms that detrimentally affect oocyte and embryo developmental potential. The molecular level impairment of the reproductive tissue is discussed, since differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis constitute focal regulatory cellular functions that appear severely compromised in cases of endometriosis. Mapping the precise molecular mechanisms entailed in endometriosis-re...
The present study was undertaken to investigate the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, M... more The present study was undertaken to investigate the levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-2 and TIMP-1, respectively) in the follicular fluid of 39 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and compare them with the levels found in 56 age- and weight-matched normally ovulating women, all undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. Significantly higher levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 (p=0.02 and p<0.001, respectively) as well as TIMP-2 and TIMP-1 (p=0.006 and p<0.001, respectively) were found in the PCOS group compared to controls. Women who achieved pregnancy had higher TIMP-1 levels compared to the non-pregnant ones in the control group (p=0.01). In conclusion, women with PCOS exhibited significantly increased gelatinolytic activity compared with controls of similar age and body mass index, thus indicating a more intense extracellular matrix remodelling in this group of patients during IVF treatment due to multiple follicula...
This study aimed to detect the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9, using enzyme-l... more This study aimed to detect the levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, in the follicular fluid of 35 patients with polycystic ovaries, compare them with the levels found in 35 normally ovulating women enrolled in their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle and then correlate them with pregnancy rates in these two groups. Levels of MMP-9 were found significantly increased in women with polycystic ovaries when compared with the controls, while MMP-2 levels were higher in women with polycystic ovaries without reaching statistical significance. The two groups did not differ in age, in the number of embryos transferred or in pregnancy rates. In conclusion, the results indicated an increased gelatinolytic activity in patients with polycystic ovaries after ovarian stimulation for IVF treatment without detecting any association between levels of MMP-2 and 9 and IVF pregnancy rates.
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Papers by Despina Tzanakaki