• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.155-160
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• 2001

Objective: ICSI with testicular sperm could achieve optimal fertilization and pregnancy. This study was performed to observe the influence on fertilization and pregnancy of motility of fresh testicular sperm and sperm extracted from frozen-thawed seminiferous tubules in obstructive azoospermia. Materials and Methods: We analysed clinical outcome of ICSI using fresh testicular sperm and sperm extracted from thawed seminiferous tubules. The presence of motility were compared to determine the factor for optimal fertilization and pregnancy rates. Results: In 316 cases of TESE-ICSI in obstructive azoospermia, ICSI with fresh testicular sperm (fresh sperm group) were 163 cases and ICSI with sperm testicular sperm extracted from frozen-thawed seminiferous tubule (thawed sperm group) were 153 cases. The fertilization rates were 71.3% and pregnancy rates were 32.5% in fresh sperm group, in thawed sperm group, 65.1% and 33.3% respectively. The fertilization and pregnancy rates of motile and non-motile testicular sperm were 72.9% and 33.6%, 50.0% and 18.2%, respectively (p<0.05). The fertilization and pregnancy rates of motile and non-motile sperm extracted from the thawed seminiferous tubule were 67.8% and 34.7%, 55.1% and 28.1%, respectively (p<0.05). The comparative of the results of ICSI using motile fresh testicular sperm and motile sperm extracted from thawed seminiferous tubule, fertilization and pregnancy rates were not significantly different (72.9% and 33.6%, 67.8% and 34.7%, respectively). Conclusion: These results suggest that successful pregnancy in TESE-ICSI treatment is influenced by the motility of fresh testicular sperm and sperm extracted from thawed seminiferous tubule in obstructive azoospennic patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제38권1호
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• pp.10-17
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• 2011

Objective: To explore potential relationships between sperm DNA integrity and both semen parameters and clinical outcomes. Methods: Semen analysis of 498 samples was performed according to the 2010 criteria of the World Health Organization. The sperm DNA fragmentation Index (DFI) of the semen samples was assessed using a neutral comet assay. Results: Sperm DFI showed a significant correlation with semen parameters, including the patient's age, sperm viability, motility, morphology, and number of leukocytes (p<0.05). The sperm DFI values for asthenozoospermic (15.2%), oligoteratozoospermic (18.3%), asthenoteratozoospermic (17.5%), and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic semen samples (21.3%) were significantly higher than that observed in normozoospermic semen samples (10.5%, p<0.05). A sperm DFI value of 14% was used as a threshold of sperm DFI in assessing whether DNA was highly damaged. In 114 IVF-ET cycles, the fertilization rate of the sperm DFI <14% group (70 cycles, 61.7%) was significantly higher than that observed for the ${\geq}14%$ group (44 cycles, 55.3%), but there was no difference in the other clinical outcomes between the two groups. In the ${\geq}14%$ group, the pregnancy rates of the ICSI cycles (40.0%) and half-ICSI (44.0%) were higher than conventional IVF cycles (30.7%), but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Along with the conventional semen analysis, the sperm DFI assessed using the comet assay was shown to improve the quality of the semen evaluation. To evaluate the precise effect of ICSI on pregnancy rates in the patients who demonstrate high sperm DFI values, further study is necessary.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제53권10호
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• pp.880-885
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• 2010

Purpose: The recent trends of multiple births (MBs) conceived by assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Korea were analyzed as well as the relationship with maternal age, especially advanced maternal age. Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service and annual ART reports from the ART committee of the Korean Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Results: MBs increased from the early 1990s; there was a 275% increase by 2008. The number of total live births was 448,153 and MBs accounted for 10,767; the MB rate was 24.0% in 2006. Among 2,326 deliveries conceived by ART, multiple deliveries accounted for 786 (33.8%). The total number of live births with ART was 3,125 and 1,585 (50.7%) of them were MBs. During 2006, 14.7% of the entire MBs in Korea were associated with ART. The proportion of women of advanced maternal age was much higher in the ART group than in the total live birth group. Conclusion: MBs in women of advanced maternal age have been increasing in Korea with the use of ART. The results of this study showed that ART was a significant factor associated with the increase in MBs in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.211-220
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• 1989

The aim of this study was to compare the response and their outcome of superovulation induction protocol in IVF-ET program. One hundued seventy seven infertile women were stimulated by FSH/hMG(group I, N=128), clomiphene citrate/hMG(group II, N=51), and hMG(group III, N=18) for the purpose of ovulation induction. The results were as follows; 1. The mean ages of patients were $31.9{\pm}3.8$ in group I, $30.6{\pm}3.3$ in group II, and $29.3{\pm}2.5$ in group III. 2. The day of hCG administration was $11.1{\pm}1.8$ in group I, $12.1{\pm}2.0$ in group II, and $13.7{\pm}6.8$ in group III. The hCG administration day of group III was significantly delayed compared with that of group I (p<0.001). 3. The terminal E2 pattern in group II was different from those of group I and III, but there was no significant difference. 4. The mean numbers of mature eggs aspirated were $5.5{\pm}3.8$ in group I, $5.0{\pm}3.3$ in group II, and $5.6{\pm}5.4$ in group III. There was no significant differences in the mean numbers of mature eggs retrieved among the three groups. 5. The fertilization rate of eggs was significantly higher in group II (67.9%) than that of group I (52.2%)(p<0.001). 6. The cleavage rate of group I (67.0%) was significantly lower than those of group II (93.2%) and group III (95.8%) (p<0.0001). 7. The mean numbers of embryos transfered were $3.3{\pm}1.4$ in group I, $3.1{\pm}1.3$ in group II, and $3.2{\pm}1.6$ in group III and the ET rate was 69.0% in group I, 77.3% in group II, and 100% in group III. There was significant difference in ET rate between group I and group III (p<0.005). 8. The pregnancy rates per OPU cycle or ET cycle were not significantly different among the three groups, but delivered and ongoing pregnancy rates were significantly different between group I (36.8%) and group II (p<88.8%) (p<0.05).

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.108-114
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• 2014

Male factors account for 20%-50% of cases of infertility and in 25% of cases, the etiology of male infertility is unknown. Effective treatments are well-established for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, male accessory gland infection, retrograde ejaculation, and positive antisperm antibody. However, the appropriate treatment for idiopathic male infertility is unclear. Empirical medical treatment (EMT) has been used in men with idiopathic infertility and can be divided into two categories based on the mode of action: hormonal treatment and antioxidant supplementation. Hormonal medications consist of gonadotropins, androgens, estrogen receptor blockers, and aromatase inhibitors. Antioxidants such as vitamins, zinc, and carnitines have also been widely used to reduce oxidative stress-induced spermatozoa damage. Although scientifically acceptable evidence of EMT is limited because of the lack of large, randomized, controlled studies, recent systematic reviews with meta-analyses have shown that the administration of gonadotropins, anti-estrogens, and oral antioxidants results in a significant increase in the live birth rate compared with control treatments. Therefore, all physicians who treat infertility should bear in mind that EMT can improve semen parameters and subsequent fertility potential through natural intercourse.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.201-208
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• 1991

Recently the application of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist to superovulation in previous poor responders has resulted in the improved outcomes after in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome. However, poor responders with poor estradiol $(E_2)$ rise or single dominant follicle are a particularly challenging group. Recent reports have also shown that patients with higher basal serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level, result in poorer ovarian response and lower pregnancy rate. Analysis of the differences of superovulation outcomes according to the different protocols of GnRH agonist, long (L, n = 18) and short (S, n = 16) protocols, in patients with high basal FSH levels (>20mIU/ml) were undertaken at Seoul National University Hospital from June to October 1990. The administration of GnRH agonist was begun on day 21 of the cycle in long protocol, and on day 2 in short protocol. Ages of patients and husbands, basal FSH and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and FSH/LH ratio did not differ significantly. Types and causes of infertility were evenly distributed. Whereas the duration of stimulation and the amounts of gonadotropins administered were significantly reduced in short protocol, the numbers of oocytes retrieved and cleaved, the cleavage rate and the number of embryos transferred were higher in long protocol without statistical signifieance. The pregnancy rate per ET was 16.7% (2/12) in short protocol, and 17.6% (3/17) in long protocol. These data suggest that both protocols result in the similar superovulation outcomes in patients with higher basal serum FSH levels.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제29권1호
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• pp.45-56
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• 2002

Objectives: Recently, recombinant FSH (rFSH) has been manufactured using a Chinese hamster ovary cell line transfected with the gene encoding human FSH. Both rFSH and urinary gonadotropin (uFSH) could be used for controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). However, uFSH implies a number of disadvantages, such as batch-to-batch inconsistency, no absolute source control, dependence on large amounts of urine, low specific activity, and low purity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rFSH in human IVF-ET program. Materials and Methods: A total of 508 infertile women was enrolled in this study. They are classified into rFSH group (n=177) or uFSH group (n=331), and all of them were matched by age and cause of infertility in same period. The $Puregon^{(R)}$ (Organon, Holland) was used as rFSH, and the Metrodin-$HP^{(R)}$ (Serono, Switzeland) and $Humegon^{(R)}$ (Organon, Holland) was used as uFSH. We subdivided the patients into three age groups. The outcomes of IVF-ET program were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Results: There was no significant differences in the level of estradiol on hCG injection day, the numbers of retrieved oocytes, matured oocytes, fertilized oocytes, transferred embryos, frozen embryos between the two groups. The total dose (IU) of gonadotropin for COH was significantly lower in the rFSH group compared to uFSH group ($1339{\pm}5491.1$ vs $2527.8{\pm}1075.2$ IU, p<0.001). Clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer in the rFSH group showed increasing tendency, compared to the uFSH group, but there was no statistical significance (35.2% vs 29.3%). Our results demonstrated that the relative efficiency of rFSH compared with uFSH is higher in older patients. Conclusions: The ovarian stimulatory effect and clinical outcome of recombinant FSH was similar to that of the urinary gonadotropin. The IVF-ET cycles with significantly lower dose of gonadotropin in rFSH group showed comparable results. Therefore, we suggest that recombinant FSH is more potent and effective than urinary gonadotropin.

• 농촌의학ㆍ지역보건
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.74-79
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• 1982

Recently in Korea, integration of F.P. & MCH programs for effective and efficient implementation of the health programs has been discussed actively. In fact, categorical health workers in fields have been trained and changed as an integrated health workers by government. But one of the most important problems that had to be solved for successful integration of F.P. and MCH programs, is that there must be a common indicator for the evaluation of the two health services (integrated indicator). We regarded reproductive efficiency (=R.E.) that had been proposed by Charlotter M$\ddot{u}$ller et al, as the good integrated indicator. The object of this brief article is to introduce the meaning of reproductive efficiency and to illustrate the usefulnesses of R.E. as the integrated health indicator by applying this indicator to the data from preliminary survey of Seosan demonstration project for integration of F.P. & MCH service supported by WHO. The results and conclusions are as follows 1) Definition of R.E. is the percentage of pregnancies that succeed in production normal, surving children after taking into account the frequency of all measurable types of adverse outcomes (End point for evaluation of survival is one year of age). 2) On the basis of the past pregnant history, reproductive efficiency of the 2,484 eligible women (15-44 years) was roughly 75% (But, in the concept of good births, it is not regarded whether the survived infant is normal health or not). 3) Compared with the results of the other two surveys of the rural area in Korea, reproductive efficiency has been slightly decreased than before, in spite of family planning and MCH services for past 20 years. Because the quantity of increased abortion rate overwhelmed that of the decreased infant mortality rate. 4) Reproductive efficiency has the object for measure many events during the period from the conception (Wanted pregnancy) to an normal surviving children as an 1 year of age. So these heterogenous adversities, ie, induced abortion, still births, spontaneous abortion, neonate & infant death, are aggregated as R.E. However, if the information of these important events and reproductive efficiency were given, R.E. is used as the comprehensive evaluation indicator for F.P. and M.C.H. after meticulous analysis the various components of R.E. 5) Economic loss for adverse outcomes of preg were pregnancy were calculated applying the medical cost at the relatively small sized hospital of small city. Economic loss for 100 cases of adverse outcome is 10,420,000 won, and economic loss for infant death is 46.1% of the total loss. So, it is rational to invest much more effort and than before to MCH programs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.977-980
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• 2013

Background: Endometrial cancer is common in western women, and the rates are very high; however in India, the rates are as low as 4.3 per 100,000 (Delhi). Objective: To estimate the survival of endometrial cancer patients based on age, education, family history, tobacco habit, number of pregnancies, clinical extent of disease and treatment received. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study was carried out at the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, India, between 1999-2002. 310 cases treated in TMH were considered as eligible entrants for the study. Five-year survival rates were estimated using actuarial and loss-adjusted (LAR) methods. Results: The proportions of patients dying above 50 years of age, non-residents and illiterates was higher than their counterparts. 54.8% of patients had some form of treatment before attending TMH. There were only 4.2% tobacco-chewers and only 6.1% had a family history of cancer. There were 25.8% who had 3-5 pregnancies (not living children) and 38.1% did not remember the pregnancy history. The 5-year overall survival rate was 92%. The five-year rates indicated better prognosis for those aged less than 50 years (97%), non-tobacco-chewers (94%), with no family history of cancer (93%), with localized disease (93%) and those treated with surgery either alone or as a combination treatment (95%). Conclusions: The present study showed that endometrial cancer patients with localized disease at diagnosis have a good outcome in India. A detailed study will help in understanding the prognostic indicators for survival especially with the newer treatment technologies now available.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제37권1호
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• pp.83-88
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• 2010

목 적: Globozoospermia는 남성불임환자의 0.1%에서 발병되는 극히 드문 정자의 형태학적 이상 증상으로 본원에서 이 증례를 경험하여 문헌고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다. 연구방법: 2회 반복적 임신에 실패한 불임기간은 6년인 32세의 부인, 36세의 남편 부부가 본원에 내원하였으며, 정액 특수염색결과 희소정자증을 동반한 globozoospermia로 판별이 되어 미세정자주입시술을 실시하였다. 결 과: 14개의 난자가 회수되었으며 이 중 총 12개를 미세정자주입시술을 이용 수정시도를 하였고, 이 중 5개가 수정이 되어 3일 배양 후 이식하였다. 이식 결과 임신이 되었으며, 임신 39주에 건강한 남아를 출산하였다. 결 론: Globozoospermia의 경우 ICSI(미세정자주입시술)방법을 실시하더라도 수정율이 낮다. 이에 수정율 및 임신율을 높일 수 있는 방법의 개발이 필요한 것으로 사료된다.