• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제42권1호
• /
• pp.22-29
• /
• 2015

Objective: Sperm must be properly prepared in in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) programs in order to control the fertilization rate and ensure that embryos are of high quality and have appropriate developmental abilities. The objective of this study was to determine the most optimal sperm preparation method for IVF. Methods: Patients less than 40 years of age who participated in a fresh IVF-ET cycle from November 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. Poor responders with less than three mature oocytes were excluded. Ham's F-10 medium or sperm-washing medium (SWM) was used in combination with the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up (DGC-SUP) or SUP methods for sperm preparation. A total of 429 fresh IVF-ET cycles were grouped according to the media and methods used for sperm preparation and retrospectively analyzed (DGC-SUP/Ham's F-10, n=82; DGC-SUP/SWM, n=43; SUP/Ham's F-10, n=181; SUP/SWM, n=123). Results: There were no significant differences among these four groups with respect to the mean age of the female partners, duration of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and retrieved oocytes. We determined that both the DGC-SUP and SUP methods for sperm preparation from whole semen, using either Ham's F-10 or SWM media, result in comparable clinical outcomes, including fertilization and pregnancy rates. Conclusion: We suggest that both media and both methods for sperm preparation can be used for selecting high-quality sperm for assistive reproductive technology programs.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제37권3호
• /
• pp.191-198
• /
• 2010

자궁근종은 환자마다 다양한 조성, 크기, 위치, 개수를 가지는 양성 종양으로 여러 가지 방법으로 생식력에 영향을 준다. 자궁근종이 생식률에 미치는 영향에 대한 연구는 많이 시행되어 왔지만 여전히 명확한 결론을 내리기는 어렵다. 자궁근종의 위치와 크기는 향후 임신에 영향을 미치는 가장 중요한 인자이다. 장막하근종은 임신에 거의 영향을 주지 않으나 자궁내강의 모양을 변형시키는 점막하근종과 근층내근종은 임신율을 감소시키며 자연 유산율을 증가시킨다. 그러므로 보조생식술을 시행하기 전에는 먼저 제거하는 치료가 충분히 상의되어야 한다. 자궁내강을 변형시키지 않은 근층내근종이 있는 환자도 임신율의 저하를 보였지만, 확실한 연구가 없기 때문에 결론을 내리기가 쉽지 않다. 근층내근종의 치료로 근종절제술이 생식력을 향상시킨다는 증거는 아직 불충분하므로 환자의 상태와 의사의 경험에 따라 치료 방법을 결정하여야 한다.

• 대한간호학회지
• /
• 제43권3호
• /
• pp.312-320
• /
• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test a model for quality of life among infertile women. This model was based primarily on the concept of the Fertility Quality of Life by Boivin et al. (2011) and the Infertility Resilience Model by Rindenour (2009). Methods: Fifteen measurable variables were used to estimate quality of life. They included endogenous variables such as fertility quality of life and resilience, and exogenous variables such as infertility related stress, depression, marital adjustment, and family support. Data sets (n=203) used for analysis were collected in a general hospital which had, on average, 400 assisted reproductive technologies per month. Results: The assessment of the modified model indicated acceptable fit, with $x^2/d.f$=2.07, GFI=.90, AGFI=.89, NFI=.89, CFI=.91, RMSEA=.07. Depression, infertility related stress, marital adjustment, resilience, and family support had direct influences on quality of life. Conclusion: The results of this study should contribute to the development of nursing intervention programs to enhance quality of life using factors that affect fertiQol (fertility quality of life) of infertile women.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
• /
• 제34권1호
• /
• pp.35-39
• /
• 2019

This study aimed to recover the ovarian function through in vitro culture of preantral follicles from aged mice. First, we isolated the preantral follicles from ovaries of sixty-seven-week old B6D2F1 mice with decreased fecundity to know how many follicles were present in them, which was 6 preantral follicles including 2 primary, 2 early secondary and late secondary follicles from 8 aged mice. It was confirmed that a few follicles (~2) were present in aged mice through histological analysis compared to adult mice as control. The 9 days of in vitro culture of preantal follicles showed in vitro growth and induced maturation after treatment with hCG (2.5 IU/mL) and EGF (5 ng/mL). Cumulus cells in the cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were removed using hyaluronidase and oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) and GV breakdown (GVBD) were obtained from preantral follicle culture of aged mice in vitro. In conclusion, these observations demonstrated that there still were a few preantral follicles in the ovaries of 67 week-old mice, which we were able to culture in vitro and oocytes were obtained from them. This study proposed an in vitro culture system using preantral follicle as a therapeutic strategy for fertility preservation in humans for assisted reproductive medicine.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제43권3호
• /
• pp.164-168
• /
• 2016

Objective: Assisted reproductive technology has been associated with an increase in multiple pregnancies. The most effective strategy for reducing multiple pregnancies is single embryo transfer. Beginning in October 2015, the National Supporting Program for Infertility in South Korea has limited the number of embryos that can be transferred per in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle depending on the patient's age. However, little is known regarding the effect of age and number of transferred embryos on the clinical outcomes of Korean patients. Thus, this study was performed to evaluate the effect of the number of transferred blastocysts on clinical outcomes. Methods: This study was carried out in the Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center from January 2013 to December 2014. The clinical outcomes of 514 women who underwent the transfer of one or two blastocysts on day 5 after IVF and of 721 women who underwent the transfer of one or two vitrified-warmed blastocysts were analyzed retrospectively. Results: For both fresh and vitrified-warmed cycles, the clinical pregnancy rate and live birth or ongoing pregnancy rate were not significantly different between patients who underwent elective single blastocyst transfer (eSBT) and patients who underwent double blastocyst transfer (DBT), regardless of age. However, the multiple pregnancy rate was significantly lower in the eSBT group than in the DBT group. Conclusion: The clinical outcomes of eSBT and DBT were equivalent, but eSBT had a lower risk of multiple pregnancy and is, therefore, the best option.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제49권1호
• /
• pp.2-8
• /
• 2022

Humanity is in the midst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and vaccines-including mRNA vaccines-have been developed at an unprecedented speed. It is necessary to develop guidelines for vaccination for people undergoing treatment with assisted reproductive technology (ART) and for pregnancy-related situations based on the extant laboratory and clinical data. COVID-19 vaccines do not appear to adversely affect gametes, embryos, or implantation; therefore, active vaccination is recommended for women or men who are preparing for ART. The use of intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) for the treatment of immune-related infertility is unlikely to impact the effectiveness of the vaccines, so COVID-19 vaccines can be administered around ART cycles in which IVIG is scheduled. Pregnant women have been proven to be at risk of severe maternal and neonatal complications from COVID-19. It does not appear that COVID-19 vaccines harm pregnant women or fetuses; instead, they have been observed to deliver antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) to the fetus. Accordingly, it is recommended that pregnant women receive COVID-19 vaccination. There is no rationale for adverse effects, or clinical cases of adverse reactions, in mothers or neonates after COVID-19 vaccination in lactating women. Instead, antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 can be delivered through breast milk. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers should consider vaccination. In summary, active administration of COVID-19 vaccines will help ensure the safe implementation of ART, pregnancy, and breastfeeding.

• 대한한방부인과학회지
• /
• 제36권4호
• /
• pp.78-95
• /
• 2023

Objectives: This study aims to analyze the results of the 2022 Gyeonggi-do Oriental Medicine Fertility Treatment Support Project, review the outcomes and satisfaction of Oriental Medicine fertility support initiatives, and propose progressive fertility treatment support strategies by comparing them with the results of the past three years. Methods: Total of 242 women and 205 spouses participated in the Korean Medicine fertility treatment support project, which encompassed herbal medicine, acupuncture, and counseling treatments over a 3-month period, followed by a 3-month post-treatment follow-up. Data pertaining to patients' general, demographic, and fertility-related characteristics were collected before treatment initiation. During treatment, information regarding the treatments administered by Korean medical doctors was recorded, along with post-treatment outcomes and satisfaction levels. Safety assessments included pre- and post-treatment blood tests and monitoring for adverse events. Results: Among the 242 female subjects, 209 successfully completed the treatment program. Of these, 35 (16.7%) achieved pregnancy, with 30 (15%) attaining pregnancy through herbal monotherapy. Out of the 35 pregnancies, 17 were maintained, while 10 resulted in miscarriage. Notably, 83.8% of patients expressed satisfaction with the treatment outcomes. An analysis spanning three years revealed a continuous increase in the average age of patients, surpassing 38 years in 2022, a critical point in fertility decline age. Additionally, there was a notable rise in the prevalence of patients with a history of gynecological issues, advanced spouse age, and semen abnormalities, which is assumed to have contributed to the decrease in the pregnancy success rate. Conclusions: This study compares the clinical results of the 2022 Gyeonggi-do Korean Medicine Fertility Treatment Support Project with those of the past three years. Based on these findings, recommendations are made to enhance the project, including stricter age criteria for patient selection, enhanced specialized treatment tools for medical doctors, and combining Korean Medicine treatment and medical assisted reproductive technologies, all aimed at increasing pregnancy success rates. These results provide a foundation for the development of fertility support projects and related policies.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• 제63권1호
• /
• pp.46-57
• /
• 2021

Fruits with antioxidant enrichment can be an economically affordable supplement for mitigating oxidative damage prone spermatozoa membrane pathologies. Computer-assisted sperm analyzer and oxidative status were utilized to evaluate the impact of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fortification of dextrose saline as diluent for rooster semen and fertility response of hens inseminated. Watermelon juice and dextrose saline were used to formulate diluent of 7 treatments consisting of unextended semen (positive control), 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50% and only dextrose saline (negative control) designated as Treatments 1-7. Pooled semen was obtained from fertile roosters and equilibrated with diluents at ratio 1:2 in the various treatments and were evaluated using computer software coupled microscope and seminal oxidative status assay. 168 laying hens randomly divided into 7 treatment of 8 replicates and 3 hen per replicate. Hen were everted, and semen (2 × 108 Spermatozoa) deposited intra-vagina and eggs collected over 8 weeks to assess fertility and hatchability of eggs laid. The result obtained revealed that watermelon-dextrose saline rooster semen diluent enhanced progressive motility, sperm kinetics and lowered non-progressive motility in T2-T6 compared to T7 over the 3 hours of evaluation. Watermelon addition to rooster semen diluent enhance the antioxidant capacity of rooster semen and lowered lipid peroxide generation. The percentage fertility was highest in T3 (81.01%) and T4 (81.24%) with lowest value obtained in T7 (73.46%). The hatchability of eggs set of hens inseminated with undiluted semen (71.46%) was lower than values for hens inseminated with watermelon inclusive extended semen (75.71%-80.39%). The optimal inclusion of 30%-40% watermelon in dextrose saline diluent enhance rooster semen kinetics, seminal oxidative stability and egg fertility.

• 디지털융복합연구
• /
• 제16권6호
• /
• pp.317-323
• /
• 2018

본 논문의 목적은 보조생식술을 받고 있는 난임 여성의 우울과 극복력의 관계에서 신체증상의 매개효과를 확인하고자 하였다. 연구대상자는 난임 클리닉에서 보조생식술 치료를 받고 있는 여성 97명이었으며, 자가보고형 설문지를 통해 자료 수집 하였다. 자료분석 결과, 대상자의 우울과 신체증상 및 극복력은 유의한 상관관계를 가지고 있었으며, 신체증상은 우울이 극복력에 미치는 영향에서 유의한 완전매개 효과가 있는 것으로 나타났으며(${\beta}=.73$, p< .001), 그 영향력은 53%였다(Z=6.32, p< .001). 이러한 연구결과를 통해, 향후 임상현장에서 보조생식술을 받고 있는 난임 여성을 대상으로 의료서비스를 제공함에 있어 이들이 스스로 건강문제를 극복하는 능력을 향상시키기 위해서는 신체증상 관리 프로그램 개발과 적용이 적극적으로 필요함을 알 수 있었다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• 제43권3호
• /
• pp.139-145
• /
• 2016

Measurements of ovarian reserve play an important role in predicting the clinical results of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The ideal markers of ovarian reserve for clinical applications should have high specificity in order to determine genuine poor responders. Basal follicle-stimulating hormone levels, antral follicle count, and serum anti-$M{\ddot{u}}llerian$ hormone (AMH) levels have been suggested as ovarian reserve tests that may fulfill this requirement, with serum AMH levels being the most promising parameter. Serum AMH levels have been suggested to be a predictor of clinical pregnancy in ART for older women, who are at a high risk for decreased ovarian response. We reviewed the prognostic significance of ovarian reserve tests for patients undergoing ART treatment, with a particular focus on the significance of serum AMH levels in patients at a high risk of poor ovarian response.