• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제46권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

With the progress of regenerative medicine, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have received attention as a way to restore ovarian function. It has been reported that MSCs derived from bone marrow, adipose, umbilical cord blood, menstrual blood, and amniotic fluid improved ovarian function. In light of previous studies and advances in this field, there are increased expectations regarding the utilization of MSCs to restore ovarian function. This review summarizes recent research into potential applications of MSCs in women with infertility or primary ovarian insufficiency, including cases where these conditions are induced by anticancer therapy.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.38-42
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• 2023

This study reports a rare case of broad ligament abdominal ectopic pregnancy (EP). Interventions included preoperative transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasonography and operative laparoscopy. Successful extraction of the EP, followed by suturing of the mesosalpinx, was performed. Laparoscopic fertility-preservation treatment of broad ligament EP is valuable for women during the childbearing period.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제45권3호
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• pp.129-134
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• 2018

Objective: In frozen and thawed embryos, the zona pellucida (ZP) can be damaged due to hardening. Laser-assisted hatching (LAH) of embryos can increase the pregnancy rate. This study compared thinning and drilling of the ZP before frozen embryo transfer (FET). Methods: Patients were randomly allocated into two groups for LAH using thinning or drilling on day 2 after thawing. Twenty-five percent of the ZP circumference and 50% of the ZP thickness was removed in the thinning group, and a hole $40{\mu}m$ in diameter was made in the drilling group. Results: A total of 171 in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection FET cycles, including 85 cycles with drilling LAH and 86 cycles with thinning LAH, were carried out. The thinning group had a similar ${\beta}$-human chorionic gonadotropin-positive rate (38.4% vs. 29.4%), implantation rate (16.5% vs. 14.4%), clinical pregnancy rate (36.0% vs. 25.9%), miscarriage rate (5.8% vs. 2.4%), ongoing pregnancy rate (30.2% vs. 23.5%), and multiple pregnancy rate (7.0% vs. 10.6%) to the drilling LAH group. There were no significant differences in pregnancy outcomes between subgroups defined based on age (older or younger than 35 years) or ZP thickness (greater or less than $17{\mu}m$) according to the LAH method. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that partial ZP thinning or drilling resulted in similar outcomes in implantation and pregnancy rates using thawed embryos, irrespective of women's age or ZP thickness.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제44권2호
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• pp.79-84
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• 2017

Objective: Optimizing in vitro maturation (IVM) media to achieve better outcomes has been a matter of interest in recent years. The aim of this prospective clinical trial was to investigate the effects of different media on the IVM outcomes of immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage. Methods: A total of 400 immature oocytes at the GV stage with normal morphology were retrieved from 320 infertile women aged $31{\pm}4.63years$ during stimulated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. They were divided into groups of homemade IVM medium (I, n = 100), cleavage medium (II, n = 100), blastocyst medium (III, n = 100), and Sage IVM medium (IV, n = 100) and cultured for 24 to 48 hours at $37^{\circ}C$. ICSI was performed, and the rates of fertilization and embryo formation were compared across the four groups. Results: In the 400 retrieved GV oocytes, the total maturation rates showed significant differences in groups I to IV (55%, 53%, 78%, and 68%, respectively, p<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the fertilization, embryo formation, or arrest rates of metaphase II oocytes across these groups. In all groups, GV maturation was mostly completed after 24 hours, with fewer oocytes requiring 48 hours to mature (p<0.01). Moreover, the rate of high-quality embryos was higher in group IV than in the other groups (p=0.01). Conclusion: The quality of the IVM medium was found to affect clinical IVM outcomes. Additionally, blastocyst medium may be a good choice in IVM/ICSI cycles as an alternative IVM medium.

• 대한간호학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.141-155
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• 1995

The objective of this study was to develop a scale to measure stress in infertile couples and to test its reliability and validity. Prior to item generation, a basic decision was made to conceptualize stress in infertile couples as including two dimensions and four subdimensions. The dimensions were, intrapersonal stress including cognitive and affective stress, and interpersonal stress including marital and social stress. Initially 95 items were generated from the inter-view data of 31 primary or secondary infertile women and from a literature review. These items were analyzed through the Index of Content Validity(CVI) and 69 items were selected which met 70% or more of the CVI. This preliminary Infertility Stress Scale were analyzed for reliability and construct validity. Item analysis and factor analysis were applied for construct validity. Forty items were selected through item analysis. This procedure was based on the inter-item correlation matrix, a corrected average inter-item correlation coefficient(.30~.70), a corrected item to total correlation coefficient (.03 or more) and information about the alpha estimate if this item was dropped from the scale. The result of the initial factor analysis including varimax rotation produced eight factors. Five items deleted because of factor complexity(indiscriminate factor loadings). The secondary factor analysis including varimax rotation produced seven factors that coincided with the conceptual framework posed for the scale developed. The seven factors were labeled as ‘meaning of children’,‘worthiness’,‘tenacious linking’,‘marital satisfaction’,‘sexual satisfaction’,‘familial adjustment’ and ‘social adjustment’. The alpha coefficient relating to internal consistency was .93 for reliability The results of this study suggest that the measurement derived from the Infertility Stress Scale is useful in assessing the stress of infertile couples.

• 한국수정란이식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수정란이식학회 2001년도 춘계학술세미나 및 워크숍
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• pp.4-16
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• 2001

Sperm competent for fertilization can become capacitated, bind to the zona pellucida (ZP)of an egg in a specific manner, and complete acrosomal exocytosis. Failure to carry out these functions results in infertility. Although the interactions between the ZP and the plasma membrane overlying the sperm acrosome have been considered important for sperm-egg recognition and signalling recent results have prompted a reassessment of current paradigms concerning these interactions. In this review, we're going to discuss about the roles of the acrosomal matrix, the particulate component of the acrosomal contents, in fertilization. The general hypothesis is that acrosomal exocytosis leads to the exposure of acrosomal matrix proteins that become de facto extracellula matrix(ECM) on the surface of the sperm head, and that the dynamic interactions of this newly-exposed sperm ECM with the egg ECM (the ZP) govern sperm-egg recognition and sperm penetration of the ZP. Informations from these experiments may provide new ways to address the poor ZP binding of sperm from some human infertility patients and may offer new avenues for contraception through the disruption of purposeful sperm-ZP binding.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제41권2호
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• pp.41-46
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• 2014

IVM refers to the maturation of immature oocytes in culture after their recovery from small antral follicles at the stage prior to selection and dominance. IVM requires little or no FSH in vivo and has been proposed as an alternative to conventional IVF, since it reduces the primary adverse effects caused by controlled ovarian stimulation, including the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Moreover, IVM is a promising option for cases for which no standard protocol is suitable, such as FSH resistance, contraindications for ovarian stimulatory drugs, and the need for urgent fertility preservation. Recently, IVM has been used in women with regular cycles and normal ovaries. However, the pregnancy rate following IVM is suboptimal compared with that of conventional IVF, indicating that further studies to optimize the protocol and the culture conditions are warranted.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.95-98
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• 1993

Salpingoscopy may be helpful in the diagnosis of subclinical epithelial, vascular damage and stricture formation, which may playa significant role in infertility, or predispose women to tubal pregnancy, despite of clear demonstration of tubal patency on hysterosalpingogram. We explored the fallopian tube from the fimbriae to the ampullary-isthmic junction with small rigid flexible endoscope during laparoscopy in sixteen patients from July 1991 to Jan. 1992. All patients have been observed following salpingoscopy for several months. Three pregnancies were achieved in seven patients with bilaterally normal or minimally damaged tubal mucosa. In another five patients with moderate to severe tubal damage, we noted one tubal pregnancy. The other remaining patients are being followed up now. As conclusions, salpingoscopy seems to be an useful tool in the diagnosis of tubal lesions which are not identified by H.S.G., give much help to refine the indications for tubal microsurgery and the selection of patients for GIFT or IVF-ET and to determine the prognostic value in terms of risk for ectopic pregnancy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제27권3호
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• pp.283-289
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• 2000

Objective: The study was performed to compare the survival rate and the development of day 2 mouse embryos which had freezing procedures done. Methods: We used three different vitrification solutions (EFS, VS14, DPS) and a ultrarapid freezing solution (UFS) for cryopreservation of day 2 mouse embryo. Results: We tested toxicity by exposing embryos to vitirification solutions and a ultrarapid freezing solution. The survival rates are 100%, 97.8%, 95.6% and 100% (EFS, VS14, DPS and UFS). After cultured for 96 hours, hatching rates of each group are 93.5% (no freezing), 95.6% (EFS), 86.4% (VS14), 93.0% (DPS), and 93.0% (UFS). There is no significant differences among groups. The survival rates after thawing cryopreserved embryos are 80.2%, 91.7%, 69.5%, 0% and 91.8% (slow freezing, EFS, VS14, DPS and UFS). Also cultured for 96 hours, the hatching rates are 93.5% (no freezing), 84.1% (slow freezing), 93.9% (EFS), 48.5% (VS14) and 70.1% (UFS). Conclusion: The survival rates of vitrification in EFS solution and ultrarapid freezing are higher than slow freezing (p<0.05). The hatching rate of vitrification in EFS solution cultured for 96 hours is highest, so vitrification of day 2 mouse embryos in EFS solution considered as more effective for cryopreservation.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.309-313
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• 2011

SOHLH2 is a novel germ cell-specific transcription factor that is crucial for folliculogenesis in the ovary and spermatogenesis in the testis. SOHLH2 represents a candidate gene for infertility with premature ovarian failure. We analyzed whether mutations in the SOHLH2 gene in 98 Korean women with premature ovarian failure. The sequence analysis identified six novel SNPs (c.431-41G>C, c.656A>T, c.1000+27C>T, c.1000+33G>T, c1258-106G>A, and c.2094+ 11T>C) from Korean patients with premature ovarian failure. The c.656A>T found in exon 7 results in change of an amino acid, tyrosine to phenylalanine. Functional mutations in SOHLH2 gene are rare in Korean women with premature ovarian failure.