International journal of fertility and women's medicine 

About: International journal of fertility and women's medicine is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Population & Pregnancy. It has an ISSN identifier of 1534-892X. Over the lifetime, 371 publications have been published receiving 6084 citations.

The Effect of Follicular Fluid Reactive Oxygen Species on the Outcome of In Vitro Fertilization

Abstract: Objective-To examine the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the follicular fluid of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and identify its role in pregnancy outcome;. Study Design-In this prospective study, ROS and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels were measured by the chemiluminescence method in the follicular fluid of 53 women. Age, number of oocytes recovered, percentage of oocytes fertilized, ROS and TAC levels were compared in women who did and did not become pregnant. Results-Patients who become pregnant had significantly higher log-transformed ROS levels (1.01 ± 0.14, P = 0.03) than those who did not (0.69 ± 0.08). Women with endometriosis or male factor infertility who became pregnant had significantly higher ROS levels (1.44 ± 0.23 and 1.31 ± 0.19) than those who did not (0.60 ± 0.17 and 0.67 ± 0.16; P<.006 and P<0.1) Conclusion-Follicular fluid ROS, at low concentrations, may be a potential marker for predicting success in IVF patients. Int J Fertil 45(5):314-320, 2000

Intimate partner violence and birth outcomes: a systematic review.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE There is a lack of comprehensive information on the relationship between domestic physical and emotional violence and pregnancy outcomes. Accordingly, we undertook this systematic review of the literature to examine the evidence on the association between physical and emotional abuse and pregnancy outcomes. STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD A comprehensive literature search was carried out using pertinent key words that would retrieve any research article pertaining to the topic. This was supplemented by cross-referencing of the articles. A total of 296 articles were found; case reports and articles that failed to satisfy the study inclusion criteria were removed and 30 articles were included in the review. RESULTS Overall, adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight, maternal mortality and infant mortality are significantly more likely among abused than nonabused mothers. Abused pregnant mothers present more often than nonabused mothers with kidney infections, gain less weight during pregnancy, and are more likely to undergo operative delivery. Fetal morbidity, such as low birth weight, preterm delivery, and small size for gestational age are more frequent among abused than nonabused gravidas. The risk for maternal mortality is three times as high for abused mothers. Black abused mothers are 3-4 times as likely to die as their white counterparts. Unmarried victims are also three times as likely to die as married abused mothers. Intimate partner violence is also responsible for increased fetal deaths in affected pregnancies (about 16.0 per 1000). CONCLUSION Intimate partner violence is often a life-threatening event to both the mother and the fetus. This, in addition to the heightened level of feto-maternal morbidity and mortality, represents clear-cut justification for routine systematic screening for the presence of abuse during pregnancy.

Gender-specific aspects of obesity.

Abstract: Obesity, an increasingly prevalent and difficult-to-treat condition in the United States, affects more women than men. The distribution of body fat differs in the genders, with women carrying more fat "on" their frames and men more likely to exhibit central obesity, carrying weight "within" their frames. Changes in body distribution of fat occur with reproductive cycling and childbearing in women. Obesity in females can have important consequences for fertility, and menopause is accompanied by a significant increase in the waist-hip ratio in females, an important factor in raising their risk for coronary artery disease. Dieting and exercise have different consequences in the two genders: men, unlike women, maintain HDL levels and lose central obesity simply by dieting, while women require exercise in addition to restricted caloric intake to produce the same effects. Recent advances in elucidating the molecular pathobiology of obesity have not yet been examined with respect to gender. With very few exceptions, this is also true of studies examining the usefulness of anorexics in initiating and maintaining weight loss. More gender-specific information is required in these two last, newer areas of obesity-related investigation.

L-carnitine levels in the seminal plasma of fertile and infertile men: correlation with sperm quality.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To confirm the presence of L-carnitine in human seminal plasma, to show differences between L-carnitine concentrations in fertile and infertile subjects, and to show potential relationships between L-carnitine and semen quality. STUDY DESIGN: Seminal plasma from 101 men obtained by masturbation was examined for the presence of L-carnitine. Semen samples were divided as follows: (a) in eight groups according to the etiology of fertility, (b) in two groups on the basis of normal or abnormal spermiogram, (c) correlation of the amount of L-carnitine in seminal plasma with values of the spermiogram. RESULTS: We found the following: (1) L-carnitine levels differ significantly between controls and the patient groups (P < .0001) (2) The group with normal spermiogram has a mean value for L-carnitine of 478.4 while the abnormal one comes to 100.58. This difference is statistically significant (P < .0001). (3) There is a statistically significant, positive correlation between L-carnitine and the number of spermatozoa, the percentage of motile spermatozoa, and the percentage of normal forms (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that determination of seminal carnitine values might provide the physician with an additional means of evaluating the infertile male.

Primary hyperparathyroidism in women: a tale of two cities--New York and Beijing.

Abstract: The Western world has been used to describing disease on its terms, as if it is a prototype for the same disease found anywhere else in the world. It is unusual that one can test the hypothesis that a common disease can present in markedly different ways, depending on the country in which it is studied. We have had the opportunity to compare and contrast primary hyperparathyroidism in the United States and in China as seen in New York City and in Beijing. The cohort of subjects in each case was well over 100, and the experience extends to well over a decade of observations. In the United States, primary hyperparathyroidism typically presents as asymptomatic hypercalcemia in women within 10 years of menopause. Most often, it is discovered accidentally in the course of a routine multichannel chemistry screening test. The serum calcium is 10.5 + 0.1 mg/dL, within 1 mg/dL above the upper limit of normal, 10.2; the serum parathyroid hormone level is 118 + 9 pg/mL (within 1.5-2-fold above the normal limit, 65). The average 25-hydroxyvitamin D level is 21 ng/mL, in the lower range of normal. The classical clinical manifestations of primary hyperparathyroidism, stone and bone disease, have become much less common than earlier descriptions of the disease in the United States through the 1950s. Overt radiological bone disease (osteitis fibrosa cystica) is almost never seen, whereas stone disease is reduced in incidence from a high of 60% in the 1940s to current estimates of 15-20% now. Most patients are asymptomatic; skeletal involvement is detected only by measuring skeletal calcium by bone densitometry. Primary hyperparathyroidism in China presents much differently. Patients are younger, with an average age of 37. The serum calcium level is much higher, averaging about 12 mg/dL. PTH is over 20 times the upper limits of normal. The average 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is much lower than in the United States population, 8.8 ng/mL. Radiological evidence for osteitis fibrosa cystica is seen in 60% of patients; virtually all patients have osteoporosis. Thirty-five percent of patients suffer pathological fractures, most often of the femur or humerus. Forty-two percent demonstrate kidney stones, with half showing bilateral disease. Constitutional features of weakness and easy fatigability are always present. There are both facile and rather subtle explanations for this dramatically different presentation of the same disease in the United States (New York City) and China (Beijing).