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
AIM This prospective study aimed to assess treatment outcome on olfaction in patients undergoing ... more AIM This prospective study aimed to assess treatment outcome on olfaction in patients undergoing Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) for nasal polyposis, and to evaluate the role of previous sinus surgery and the duration of olfactory deficit as prognostic factors for olfaction improvement. METHODS In total, 116 patients with nasal polyposis who underwent ESS were studied. Olfactory testing was performed using the Sniffin' Sticks test, preoperatively and 1-, 3- and 6-month postoperatively. RESULTS The values of the composite threshold discrimination identification score were significantly lower in patients with long duration of olfactory deficit and history of previous sinus surgery in all testing sessions. Adjustment for preoperative olfactory measures and all potential confounders revealed that both parameters remained strong independent predictors of normal olfactory function; a successful outcome was more frequent in patients with short duration of olfactory deficit and in patien...
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.
This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for fur... more This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for further predictive markers enhancing the standing embryo selection criteria. It aims to serve as a source of defining information for an audience interested in factors related to the wide range of multiple roles played by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in several aspects of IVF ultimately associated with the success of an IVF cycle. We begin by stressing the importance of enriching the standing embryo selection criteria available aiming for the golden standard: "extract as much information as possible focusing on non-invasive techniques" so as to guide us towards selecting the embryo with the highest implantation potential. We briefly describe the latest trends on how to best select the right embryo, moving closer towards elective single embryo transfer. These trends are: frozen embryo transfer for all, preimplantation genetic screening, non-invasive selection criteria, and time-l...
Physiological research / Academia Scientiarum Bohemoslovaca, 2005
Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may ... more Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may influence the pregnancy outcome in cycles of assisted reproduction. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and leptin in serum and follicular fluids (FFs) from women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles (ICSI). We tried to investigate their interrelationships and to evaluate them as predictive markers for the cycle's outcome. Seventeen women participated in this study. Male factor infertility was the only indication for ICSI cycles. For COH, the long agonist protocol with triptorelin and recombinant FSH was employed. Cytokines levels were evaluated by ELISA. Serum cytokine levels did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women. FF-VEGF levels were significantly elevated in non-pregnant women (722.2+/-1093.2 pg/ml) as compared...
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian... more Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. Among the treatments for OHSS, the continuation of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase has been recently suggested. Five patients at risk for OHSS received 0.1 mg triptorelin for one week after embryo transfer in order to prevent OHSS. All the five patients developed mild symptoms. None of them required hospitalization. Although the pathophysiology of OHSS and the effects of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase remain unclear, the continuation of GnRH agonist seems to be a safe and effective treatment for OHSS.
Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. ... more Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. The choice of the culture medium is important for the optimization of the conditions for culture of hGL cells. To compare the efficiency of a basic salt solution and eight different defined media on the culture of hGL cells. Cultures of the HGL-5 cell line were maintained for 72 hours with DMEM/F12, RPMI-1640, Ham'sF10, Modified Ham'sF10®, HTFXtra®, Global®, Complete Multiblast®, Universal® or Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS). At the end of the culturing period, the attachment, the viability and the total number of cells were measured. Culture in DMEM/F12 led to the highest score of all studied parameters, followed by RPMI-1640. The lowest performance was recorded with Complete Multiblast® and EBSS. The use of the other media gave mediocre results. Among the media tested, DMEM/F12 appears to be the best choice for the culture of hGL cells.
Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology, 2004
Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response... more Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response to ovarian stimulation. It is a rare phenomenon in in-vitro fertilization and borderline forms of this syndrome have also been described. Two cycles in the same patient were stimulated with GnRH agonist/hMG and recFSH; the first followed the long and the second followed the short protocol. There was a sudden drop in estradiol levels while the ovaries contained a large number of small and medium sized follicles. hCG was administered and oocyte retrieval was performed 36 hours later. There was no indication of low hCG levels. For the first cycle two oocytes were collected: one degenerated and one of poor quality. The second cycle resulted in total failure of oocyte retrieval. The two cycles were classified as borderline forms of empty follicle syndrome. The possible aetiology is discussed.
This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for fur... more This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for further predictive markers enhancing the standing embryo selection criteria. It aims to serve as a source of defining information for an audience interested in factors related to the wide range of multiple roles played by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in several aspects of IVF ultimately associated with the success of an IVF cycle. We begin by stressing the importance of enriching the standing embryo selection criteria available aiming for the golden standard: "extract as much information as possible focusing on non-invasive techniques" so as to guide us towards selecting the embryo with the highest implantation potential. We briefly describe the latest trends on how to best select the right embryo, moving closer towards elective single embryo transfer. These trends are: frozen embryo transfer for all, preimplantation genetic screening, non-invasive selection criteria, and time-l...
The Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) system (neuropeptides CRF, Ucn I, II, III and binding si... more The Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) system (neuropeptides CRF, Ucn I, II, III and binding sites CRFR1, CRFR2, CRF-BP) is responsible for stress regulation and the homeostasis of an organism. Herein we study the CRF system in human normal and pathological fetal lungs. Lung tissues from 46 archival human fetuses were divided into Group A (normal), Group B (chromosomal abnormalities) and Group C (congenital disorders). Presence of elements of the CRF system was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and was correlated to pathology, lung developmental stage and clinicopathological characteristics. Immunoreactivity for all antigens was found in both epithelial and mesenchymal lung cells of the bronchi and alveoli. Ucn I and CRFR1 were more frequently present in Group A. Ucns were more frequently localized at the pseudoglandular stage. There was a positive correlation between the presence of the CRF neuropeptides and between CRFR1 and CRF. Two fetuses with lung malformations showed low...
Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology, 2012
To detect the incidence of CMV infection in spontaneous abortion in Thrace. Genetic material from... more To detect the incidence of CMV infection in spontaneous abortion in Thrace. Genetic material from 143 fetuses aged from 11 to 39 weeks was examined. The material originated from various regions of Thrace. All fetuses and the respective placentas underwent routine histopathology. DNA was isolated from sections of paraffinized tissues. Detection of CMV in the DNA genomic samples was performed using a commercial PCR-based detection kit. From the 143 fetuses that were examined, two were found to be CMV positive. Pathological findings related to inflammatory corruptions were observed in the placentas of 97 embryos, including the CMV infected ones. This study indicates CMV-DNA infection in 1.4% of aborted fetuses. CMV infection incidence in aborted fetuses is similar to this reported in other European regions. The molecular technique of PCR applied on paraffin-embedded biopsy material is proven to be an accurate, valid and fast method for investigating the CMV infection in aborted fetuses.
The aim of the study was to investigate the pattern of circulating soluble receptor of leptin (sL... more The aim of the study was to investigate the pattern of circulating soluble receptor of leptin (sLeptinR) during the menstrual cycle and the association of sLeptinR to leptin, sex hormones and gonadotropins. Fasting blood samples were collected on alternate days throughout a full cycle from fifteen healthy volunteers. Immunoenzymatic assays were employed to record the relevant levels. sLeptinR concentrations throughout the cycle were found to vary negligibly. No significant correlations between sLeptinR and leptin, gonadotropins or progesterone, were established. During the follicular phase, subjects presenting with higher estradiol levels tended to have higher sLeptinR concentrations. The little variation of sLeptinR concentrations during the menstrual cycle indicates that the rise of leptin during the luteal phase implies an increase of its bioactivity.
Physiological research / Academia Scientiarum Bohemoslovaca, 2005
Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may ... more Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may influence the pregnancy outcome in cycles of assisted reproduction. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and leptin in serum and follicular fluids (FFs) from women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles (ICSI). We tried to investigate their interrelationships and to evaluate them as predictive markers for the cycle's outcome. Seventeen women participated in this study. Male factor infertility was the only indication for ICSI cycles. For COH, the long agonist protocol with triptorelin and recombinant FSH was employed. Cytokines levels were evaluated by ELISA. Serum cytokine levels did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women. FF-VEGF levels were significantly elevated in non-pregnant women (722.2+/-1093.2 pg/ml) as compared...
Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology, 2004
Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response... more Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response to ovarian stimulation. It is a rare phenomenon in in-vitro fertilization and borderline forms of this syndrome have also been described. Two cycles in the same patient were stimulated with GnRH agonist/hMG and recFSH; the first followed the long and the second followed the short protocol. There was a sudden drop in estradiol levels while the ovaries contained a large number of small and medium sized follicles. hCG was administered and oocyte retrieval was performed 36 hours later. There was no indication of low hCG levels. For the first cycle two oocytes were collected: one degenerated and one of poor quality. The second cycle resulted in total failure of oocyte retrieval. The two cycles were classified as borderline forms of empty follicle syndrome. The possible aetiology is discussed.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian... more Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. Among the treatments for OHSS, the continuation of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase has been recently suggested. Five patients at risk for OHSS received 0.1 mg triptorelin for one week after embryo transfer in order to prevent OHSS. All the five patients developed mild symptoms. None of them required hospitalization. Although the pathophysiology of OHSS and the effects of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase remain unclear, the continuation of GnRH agonist seems to be a safe and effective treatment for OHSS.
Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. ... more Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. The choice of the culture medium is important for the optimization of the conditions for culture of hGL cells. To compare the efficiency of a basic salt solution and eight different defined media on the culture of hGL cells. Cultures of the HGL-5 cell line were maintained for 72 hours with DMEM/F12, RPMI-1640, Ham'sF10, Modified Ham'sF10®, HTFXtra®, Global®, Complete Multiblast®, Universal® or Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS). At the end of the culturing period, the attachment, the viability and the total number of cells were measured. Culture in DMEM/F12 led to the highest score of all studied parameters, followed by RPMI-1640. The lowest performance was recorded with Complete Multiblast® and EBSS. The use of the other media gave mediocre results. Among the media tested, DMEM/F12 appears to be the best choice for the culture of hGL cells.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is usually performed on cleavage stage embryos on day 3 p... more Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is usually performed on cleavage stage embryos on day 3 post-insemination. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has revealed four groups of chromosome patterns in embryos at this stage: uniformly normal, uniformly abnormal, mosaic and chaotic. Recently, some in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics have started to perform blastocyst stage transfer. In blastocysts, conventional karyotyping has shown that all four groups of chromosome patterns are observed. In the present study, embryos were cultured to day 5 and were subject to a two-round multicolour FISH procedure for chromosome analysis to ensure almost every nucleus was examined. Probes for chromosomes X, Y and 18 were used in the first round and those for chromosomes 13 and 21 in the second round. Twenty arrested embryos (274 cells) and 19 blastocyst stage embryos (1272 cells) were analysed. Four arrested embryos and two blastocysts were uniformly diploid. The remaining 33 embryos were mosaic, including 17 blastocysts. Most of the blastocysts had a high proportion of diploid cells while in the arrested embryos, this proportion varied widely. For PGD, this high prevalence of mosaicism persisting to the blastocyst stage may pose problems similar to mosaicism in cleavage stage embryos.
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
AIM This prospective study aimed to assess treatment outcome on olfaction in patients undergoing ... more AIM This prospective study aimed to assess treatment outcome on olfaction in patients undergoing Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (ESS) for nasal polyposis, and to evaluate the role of previous sinus surgery and the duration of olfactory deficit as prognostic factors for olfaction improvement. METHODS In total, 116 patients with nasal polyposis who underwent ESS were studied. Olfactory testing was performed using the Sniffin' Sticks test, preoperatively and 1-, 3- and 6-month postoperatively. RESULTS The values of the composite threshold discrimination identification score were significantly lower in patients with long duration of olfactory deficit and history of previous sinus surgery in all testing sessions. Adjustment for preoperative olfactory measures and all potential confounders revealed that both parameters remained strong independent predictors of normal olfactory function; a successful outcome was more frequent in patients with short duration of olfactory deficit and in patien...
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.
This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for fur... more This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for further predictive markers enhancing the standing embryo selection criteria. It aims to serve as a source of defining information for an audience interested in factors related to the wide range of multiple roles played by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in several aspects of IVF ultimately associated with the success of an IVF cycle. We begin by stressing the importance of enriching the standing embryo selection criteria available aiming for the golden standard: "extract as much information as possible focusing on non-invasive techniques" so as to guide us towards selecting the embryo with the highest implantation potential. We briefly describe the latest trends on how to best select the right embryo, moving closer towards elective single embryo transfer. These trends are: frozen embryo transfer for all, preimplantation genetic screening, non-invasive selection criteria, and time-l...
Physiological research / Academia Scientiarum Bohemoslovaca, 2005
Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may ... more Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may influence the pregnancy outcome in cycles of assisted reproduction. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and leptin in serum and follicular fluids (FFs) from women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles (ICSI). We tried to investigate their interrelationships and to evaluate them as predictive markers for the cycle's outcome. Seventeen women participated in this study. Male factor infertility was the only indication for ICSI cycles. For COH, the long agonist protocol with triptorelin and recombinant FSH was employed. Cytokines levels were evaluated by ELISA. Serum cytokine levels did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women. FF-VEGF levels were significantly elevated in non-pregnant women (722.2+/-1093.2 pg/ml) as compared...
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian... more Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. Among the treatments for OHSS, the continuation of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase has been recently suggested. Five patients at risk for OHSS received 0.1 mg triptorelin for one week after embryo transfer in order to prevent OHSS. All the five patients developed mild symptoms. None of them required hospitalization. Although the pathophysiology of OHSS and the effects of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase remain unclear, the continuation of GnRH agonist seems to be a safe and effective treatment for OHSS.
Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. ... more Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. The choice of the culture medium is important for the optimization of the conditions for culture of hGL cells. To compare the efficiency of a basic salt solution and eight different defined media on the culture of hGL cells. Cultures of the HGL-5 cell line were maintained for 72 hours with DMEM/F12, RPMI-1640, Ham'sF10, Modified Ham'sF10®, HTFXtra®, Global®, Complete Multiblast®, Universal® or Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS). At the end of the culturing period, the attachment, the viability and the total number of cells were measured. Culture in DMEM/F12 led to the highest score of all studied parameters, followed by RPMI-1640. The lowest performance was recorded with Complete Multiblast® and EBSS. The use of the other media gave mediocre results. Among the media tested, DMEM/F12 appears to be the best choice for the culture of hGL cells.
Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology, 2004
Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response... more Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response to ovarian stimulation. It is a rare phenomenon in in-vitro fertilization and borderline forms of this syndrome have also been described. Two cycles in the same patient were stimulated with GnRH agonist/hMG and recFSH; the first followed the long and the second followed the short protocol. There was a sudden drop in estradiol levels while the ovaries contained a large number of small and medium sized follicles. hCG was administered and oocyte retrieval was performed 36 hours later. There was no indication of low hCG levels. For the first cycle two oocytes were collected: one degenerated and one of poor quality. The second cycle resulted in total failure of oocyte retrieval. The two cycles were classified as borderline forms of empty follicle syndrome. The possible aetiology is discussed.
This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for fur... more This review addresses issues regarding the need in the in vitro fertilization (IVF) field for further predictive markers enhancing the standing embryo selection criteria. It aims to serve as a source of defining information for an audience interested in factors related to the wide range of multiple roles played by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) in several aspects of IVF ultimately associated with the success of an IVF cycle. We begin by stressing the importance of enriching the standing embryo selection criteria available aiming for the golden standard: "extract as much information as possible focusing on non-invasive techniques" so as to guide us towards selecting the embryo with the highest implantation potential. We briefly describe the latest trends on how to best select the right embryo, moving closer towards elective single embryo transfer. These trends are: frozen embryo transfer for all, preimplantation genetic screening, non-invasive selection criteria, and time-l...
The Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) system (neuropeptides CRF, Ucn I, II, III and binding si... more The Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF) system (neuropeptides CRF, Ucn I, II, III and binding sites CRFR1, CRFR2, CRF-BP) is responsible for stress regulation and the homeostasis of an organism. Herein we study the CRF system in human normal and pathological fetal lungs. Lung tissues from 46 archival human fetuses were divided into Group A (normal), Group B (chromosomal abnormalities) and Group C (congenital disorders). Presence of elements of the CRF system was evaluated using immunohistochemistry and was correlated to pathology, lung developmental stage and clinicopathological characteristics. Immunoreactivity for all antigens was found in both epithelial and mesenchymal lung cells of the bronchi and alveoli. Ucn I and CRFR1 were more frequently present in Group A. Ucns were more frequently localized at the pseudoglandular stage. There was a positive correlation between the presence of the CRF neuropeptides and between CRFR1 and CRF. Two fetuses with lung malformations showed low...
Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology, 2012
To detect the incidence of CMV infection in spontaneous abortion in Thrace. Genetic material from... more To detect the incidence of CMV infection in spontaneous abortion in Thrace. Genetic material from 143 fetuses aged from 11 to 39 weeks was examined. The material originated from various regions of Thrace. All fetuses and the respective placentas underwent routine histopathology. DNA was isolated from sections of paraffinized tissues. Detection of CMV in the DNA genomic samples was performed using a commercial PCR-based detection kit. From the 143 fetuses that were examined, two were found to be CMV positive. Pathological findings related to inflammatory corruptions were observed in the placentas of 97 embryos, including the CMV infected ones. This study indicates CMV-DNA infection in 1.4% of aborted fetuses. CMV infection incidence in aborted fetuses is similar to this reported in other European regions. The molecular technique of PCR applied on paraffin-embedded biopsy material is proven to be an accurate, valid and fast method for investigating the CMV infection in aborted fetuses.
The aim of the study was to investigate the pattern of circulating soluble receptor of leptin (sL... more The aim of the study was to investigate the pattern of circulating soluble receptor of leptin (sLeptinR) during the menstrual cycle and the association of sLeptinR to leptin, sex hormones and gonadotropins. Fasting blood samples were collected on alternate days throughout a full cycle from fifteen healthy volunteers. Immunoenzymatic assays were employed to record the relevant levels. sLeptinR concentrations throughout the cycle were found to vary negligibly. No significant correlations between sLeptinR and leptin, gonadotropins or progesterone, were established. During the follicular phase, subjects presenting with higher estradiol levels tended to have higher sLeptinR concentrations. The little variation of sLeptinR concentrations during the menstrual cycle indicates that the rise of leptin during the luteal phase implies an increase of its bioactivity.
Physiological research / Academia Scientiarum Bohemoslovaca, 2005
Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may ... more Cytokines play a critical and multifarious role in follicular maturation. Consequently, they may influence the pregnancy outcome in cycles of assisted reproduction. The aim of this study was to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and leptin in serum and follicular fluids (FFs) from women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles (ICSI). We tried to investigate their interrelationships and to evaluate them as predictive markers for the cycle's outcome. Seventeen women participated in this study. Male factor infertility was the only indication for ICSI cycles. For COH, the long agonist protocol with triptorelin and recombinant FSH was employed. Cytokines levels were evaluated by ELISA. Serum cytokine levels did not differ between pregnant and non-pregnant women. FF-VEGF levels were significantly elevated in non-pregnant women (722.2+/-1093.2 pg/ml) as compared...
Clinical and experimental obstetrics & gynecology, 2004
Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response... more Empty follicle syndrome is known as the failure of oocyte retrieval despite the adequate response to ovarian stimulation. It is a rare phenomenon in in-vitro fertilization and borderline forms of this syndrome have also been described. Two cycles in the same patient were stimulated with GnRH agonist/hMG and recFSH; the first followed the long and the second followed the short protocol. There was a sudden drop in estradiol levels while the ovaries contained a large number of small and medium sized follicles. hCG was administered and oocyte retrieval was performed 36 hours later. There was no indication of low hCG levels. For the first cycle two oocytes were collected: one degenerated and one of poor quality. The second cycle resulted in total failure of oocyte retrieval. The two cycles were classified as borderline forms of empty follicle syndrome. The possible aetiology is discussed.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian... more Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a frequent serious complication in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for in vitro fertilization. Among the treatments for OHSS, the continuation of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase has been recently suggested. Five patients at risk for OHSS received 0.1 mg triptorelin for one week after embryo transfer in order to prevent OHSS. All the five patients developed mild symptoms. None of them required hospitalization. Although the pathophysiology of OHSS and the effects of GnRH agonist during the luteal phase remain unclear, the continuation of GnRH agonist seems to be a safe and effective treatment for OHSS.
Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. ... more Cultures of human ovarian granulosa lutein (hGL) cells are broadly used in experimental studies. The choice of the culture medium is important for the optimization of the conditions for culture of hGL cells. To compare the efficiency of a basic salt solution and eight different defined media on the culture of hGL cells. Cultures of the HGL-5 cell line were maintained for 72 hours with DMEM/F12, RPMI-1640, Ham'sF10, Modified Ham'sF10®, HTFXtra®, Global®, Complete Multiblast®, Universal® or Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS). At the end of the culturing period, the attachment, the viability and the total number of cells were measured. Culture in DMEM/F12 led to the highest score of all studied parameters, followed by RPMI-1640. The lowest performance was recorded with Complete Multiblast® and EBSS. The use of the other media gave mediocre results. Among the media tested, DMEM/F12 appears to be the best choice for the culture of hGL cells.
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is usually performed on cleavage stage embryos on day 3 p... more Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is usually performed on cleavage stage embryos on day 3 post-insemination. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) has revealed four groups of chromosome patterns in embryos at this stage: uniformly normal, uniformly abnormal, mosaic and chaotic. Recently, some in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics have started to perform blastocyst stage transfer. In blastocysts, conventional karyotyping has shown that all four groups of chromosome patterns are observed. In the present study, embryos were cultured to day 5 and were subject to a two-round multicolour FISH procedure for chromosome analysis to ensure almost every nucleus was examined. Probes for chromosomes X, Y and 18 were used in the first round and those for chromosomes 13 and 21 in the second round. Twenty arrested embryos (274 cells) and 19 blastocyst stage embryos (1272 cells) were analysed. Four arrested embryos and two blastocysts were uniformly diploid. The remaining 33 embryos were mosaic, including 17 blastocysts. Most of the blastocysts had a high proportion of diploid cells while in the arrested embryos, this proportion varied widely. For PGD, this high prevalence of mosaicism persisting to the blastocyst stage may pose problems similar to mosaicism in cleavage stage embryos.
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Papers by Maria Simopoulou