Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to W Küpker.
Since 1992, intracytoplasmic sperm injection has been established as the treatment of choice for severe male subfertility. Worldwide results with regard to fertilization, pregnancy and pregnancy outcome, collected by the EHSRE Task Force on ICSI, are reported in this short survey. Aspects of genetic inheritance that are of major concern are addressed briefly.
PURPOSE: The premature LH surge in ART programs seems to be avoided by daily administration of the GnRH-antagonist Cetrorelix during the midcycle phase in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with hMG. The dosage necessary for sufficient suppression of the pituitary gland is not yet defined. METHODS: To elucidate this question three daily dosages (3, 1, 0.5 mg) were administered and the hormone profiles obtained as well as the number of oocytes retrieved, the fertilization rate, and the consumption of HMG were compared. RESULTS: No premature LH surge could be observed at any of the three dosages administered. Both gonadotropins were deeply suppressed. The fertilization rates of the oocytes obtained were 45.3% in the 3-mg group, 53.1% in the 1-mg group, and 67.7% in the 0.5-mg group. The average uses of hMG ampoules were 30 in the 3-mg group, 27 in the 1-mg group, and 26 in the 0.5-mg group. CONCLUSIONS: Cetrolix, 0.5 mg/day, administered during the midcycle phase of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with hMG is enough to prevent completely the premature LH surge. Perhaps even lower dosages would be sufficient. Regarding fertilization rates and use of hMG, the lower dosage seems to be the most favorable.
PURPOSE: To determine the ability of new sub-2.0-mm-diameter microlaparoscopes to be used for diagnostic laparoscopy, 28 small-diameter laparoscopies (SDL) were performed during a 4-month-period. METHODS: These cases were performed under general anesthesia, with immediate follow-up confirmation with conventional laparoscopic equipment. An additional 13 SDL procedures were performed under analgosedation plus local anesthesia and were well tolerated by the patients. RESULTS: For the cases performed with conventional laparoscopic control, the visualization results were comparable in 27 of 28 procedures. In the nongeneral anesthesia SDL group, patients were highly satisfied and reported less post-procedural discomfort and minimal scar formation due to the smaller access ports. In this study, two types of microlaparoscopes were used. CONCLUSIONS: While both were adequate, the newer high-resolution microlaparoscope delivered an image much more similar to that which conventional laparoscopy and required little or no change in technique in order to obtain images. With the advent of this new endoscope technology with optics performance comparable to that of conventional laparoscopes, SDL has demonstrated to be a useful procedure for certain clinical indications.
Macrophage-derived substances such as cytokines and growth promoting factors are known to be present in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis. Active endometriosis of the peritoneum is characterised by hypervascularization and neoangiogenesis. TNF-alpha is a pleiotropic cytokine also involved in angiogenesis and immunoregulation. Our question was to determine whether there are differences in the peritoneal TNF-alpha concentrations in women with various degrees of active and inactive endometriosis. We found that TNF-alpha concentrations were higher in the peritoneal fluid of women with endometriosis than in the peritoneal fluid of those without. TNF-alpha concentrations were higher in cases of active endometriosis than in cases of inactive endometriosis. The highest concentrations could be detected in women with severe endometriosis (stage III and IV rAFS).
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is increasingly becoming the treatment of choice for severe male subfertility. Cytogenetic evaluation of men with andrological subfertility reveals an increased incidence of chromosomal abnormalities when compared with the normal population. We performed chromosomal analysis on the male partners of 32 couples referred for andrological subfertility. In two of these men, constitutional chromosomal translocations were diagnosed prior to ICSI [(45,XY,t(21;22)(p11;q11) and 46,XY,t(22;Y)(p11;q12)]. Since ICSI bypasses many potential barriers of fertilization, successful pregnancy can be achieved despite the presence of severely impaired spermatozoa in a population at high risk for chromosomal aberrations. It is well known that the presence of a chromosomal aberration plays a significant role in partial or complete spermatogenic arrest. ICSI does not seem to increase the risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities when a spermatozoon from a chromosomally normal male is used. To exclude a higher risk for spontaneous abortion and fetal chromosomal abnormalities, we advocate cytogenetic screening of males with severe male subfertility who opt for ICSI.
A comparison was made of pronuclear stage human oocytes obtained either after classical in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). After ICSI or IVF, three fertilized oocytes from each patient were kept in culture for a further 24 h before embryo transfer. The surplus oocytes were cryopreserved using the 'open freezing system' and 1,2-propanediol and sucrose as cryoprotectants. A cohort of 817 and 1626 oocytes in pronuclear stage were frozen after IVF and ICSI respectively. Of these, 333 and 744 zygotes have been thawed, of which 78 and 76.5% were morphologically intact zygotes after IVF and ICSI respectively. From the 204 (ICSI) and 89 (IVF) zygote transfers performed, 34 (17%) and 18 (20%) pregnancies were established. Both groups showed a similar abortion rate of approximately 20%. It is concluded that pronuclear stage oocytes resulting from ICSI can be successfully frozen/thawed and the survival and pregnancy rates achieved are comparable to those for zygotes obtained after IVF.
The aim of this prospective study was to relate sperm quality, especially sperm morphology, to the outcome of IVF results, when glass wool filtration (GWF) and swim-up were used in combination for the preparation of spermatozoa. A total of 60 ejaculates were analysed. GWF was compared with glass wool filtration/swim-up (GWF-SU) by using aliquots from the same semen samples to increase the precision of the comparison and to establish the cumulative effect of these two semen preparation methods on the morphology of the recovered spermatozoa. Sperm parameters were examined in native semen, in semen preparation samples after GWF and GWF-SU. The mean percentages for motility, morphology and velocity were improved significantly over those in fresh semen only when GWF-SU was used. GWF alone resulted only in a significantly higher recovery of motile spermatozoa. In semen preparation, 10% of spermatozoa with normal morphology appeared to be the cut-off point as there was a significantly higher recovery in fresh semen samples containing > 10% morphologically normal spermatozoa after GWF-SU. Outcome of IVF-ET following preparation with GWF-SU showed better results in comparison to the swim-up procedure alone, though this difference was not statistically significant. The cut-off point was also > 10% morphologically normal spermatozoa. Improvement in all aspects of IVF-ET occurred when native semen contained > 10% morphologically normal spermatozoa. It is concluded that GWF alone did not produce significantly better results but, in combination with swim-up, it resulted in significantly better sperm morphology and in an improved outcome of IVF-ET for fresh semen samples with > 10% morphologically normal spermatozoa.
Since 1992 direct injection of a single spermatozoon into the cytoplasm of the oocyte (ICSI) has developed as the treatment of choice in cases of severe male subfertility. The ICSI procedure displays high fertilization and pregnancy rates in cases of extreme oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. In combination with sperm aspiration from the epididymis or sperm retrieval by testicular sperm extraction, fertilization is possible even in cases of azoospermia. To date, a couple of thousand children have been born after ICSI. Despite the criticism about the lack of natural selection while breaking the zona pellucida and the cytoplasmic membrane with the injection pipette, there has been no increased incidence of malformations and chromosomal abnormalities.
We report on 4 cases of ectopic pregnancy with low HCG-levels and lack of clinical symptoms, in which expectant management was performed. Advantages and disadvantages of the procedure are discussed. While one can find a variety of therapeutical concepts in the literature such as conservative medical treatment alone or in combination with laparoscopy or expectant management, we dispose to prefer a fertilization providing gentle operative laparoscopic assessment as the treatment of choice in all cases of ectopic pregnancy. In all 4 cases operative laparoscopy had to be performed after an interval of expectance when the patients displayed sudden severe clinical symptoms.
Ejaculatory disorders can interfere with the fertility of young adults who suffer from spinal cord injury, have type I diabetes mellitus or have undergone retroperitoneal or intrapelvic operations. Following an overview of causes and treatment of ejaculatory disorders, the data of our centre are presented. From a group of 37 patients with genuine loss of seminal emission, 15 men and their wives were offered a combined treatment of rectal probe electro-ejaculation and artificial reproductive techniques. No serious complications occurred. During 40 cycles with intracorporeal insemination and 11 cycles with extracorporeal fertilization techniques, seven pregnancies were achieved, representing a pregnancy rate of 46% per couple and 14% per cycle for all cycles. Five healthy children were born, all following extracorporeal insemination. The 'take-home baby rate' for this population and for this technique is 45%. In vitro fertilization (IVF) led to one birth, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) achieved four live births out of three pregnancies, one being a twin gestation. Since our successes are due to the use of extracorporeal insemination techniques, these are now incorporated in a new, more rational treatment protocol.
PURPOSE: The male factor is nowadays one of the major problems in the treatment of infertility. New methods of assisted fertilization such as the intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) show better fertilization and pregnancy rates than classical IVF. METHOD: In this study, we present a new technique of sperm preparation: the "mini-swim-up." CONCLUSION: This technique, used in conjunction with the ICSI procedure, improves pregnancy and fertility rates in cases of severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.
PURPOSE: Direct intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a successful treatment of severe male subfertility. Conventional in vitro fertilization shows poor pregnancy rates especially in cases of severe teratozoospermia. The objective was to determine if severe morphological defects of spermatozoa in oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) have any impact on the fertilization process in ICSI and if there are any specific morphological characteristics in nonfertilized oocytes after the ICSI procedure. METHODS: Ejaculates and nonfertilized oocytes were investigated by electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of intracytoplasmic sperm-oocyte interaction, not severe sperm defects, displays the most critical role in the fertilization process. Clinical data with fertilization rates of 66% and pregnancy rates of 23.3% confirm the fertilization capacity of severely
OBJECTIVE: To examine the pituitary response in patients undergoing short-term application of the GnRH antagonist Cetrorelix in the mid-cycle phase for hypophysial suppression of premature LH surges within an IVF-program. DESIGN: Twenty patients suffering from primary or secondary tubal infertility were stimulated with hMG from cycle day 2. From day 7 till ovulation induction Cetrorelix was administered in two different dose regimens (15 patients 3 mg s.c. daily; 5 patients 1 mg s.c. daily). Three hours before ovulation induction a GnRH test was performed using 25 micrograms of native GnRH and the pituitary response examined by measurement of the serum LH concentration after 30 min. RESULTS: Premature LH surges could be avoided in the 3-mg group and in the 1-mg group, respectively. Due to this, none of the cycles had to be cancelled. Oestradiol profiles and ultrasound demonstrated a satisfactory follicular maturation. All patients showed pronounced suppression of the serum LH levels before ovulation induction. The mean increase of serum LH due to the performed GnRH test was 10 mIU/ml for the 3-mg group, while the average maximum in the 1-mg group was about 32.5 mIU/ml. CONCLUSIONS: The pituitary response is preserved by the treatment with the GnRH antagonist Cetrorelix. The extent of suppression of the adenohypophysis, as expressed by the different reactions on GnRH test, can be modulated by the dosage administered. This should allow ovulation induction by GnRH or one of its agonists instead of hCG, which could be beneficial in patients at high risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) and those suffering from Polycystic Ovary Disease (PCOD).
Morphology of the spermatozoa is one of the major criteria in severe male subfertility. We report on a case of severe Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in which a triplet pregnancy could be achieved after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). After treatment with GnRH-analogues/HMG/HCG seven oocytes of metaphase II could be retrieved and injected. Three of them fertilised and were transferred as four-cell stage embryos after two days. Seven weeks later an intact triplet pregnancy could be detected by ultrasonography. The severe sperm defects in this case were evaluated with the technique of electron microscopy. Ultramorphology of spermatozoa appears to have an important predictive value for fertilisation and pregnancy in classical IVF. Its value for the assisted procreation techniques such as ICSI remains to be investigated.
OBJECTIVE: Applicability of the GnRH-antagonist Cetrorelix within controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) to avoid the premature LH-surge should be examined. METHODS: 35 patients suffering from tubal infertility were stimulated for In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) by human menopausal gonadotrophins (HMG) and concomitant administration of Cetrorelix in different dosages (3 mg, 1 mg, 0,5 mg). RESULTS: No premature LH-surge could be observed. CONCLUSIONS: Short term administration of the GnGR-antagonists avoids the occurrence of a premature LH-surge.
OBJECTIVE: Was to determine if severe morphological defects of spermatozoa in Oligo-Astheno-Teratozoospermia (OAT) have any impact on the fertilization process in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and, if there are any specific morphological characteristics of unfertilized oocytes after the ICSI procedure. METHODS: Ejaculates of males with severe subfertility and unfertilized oocytes after the ICSI procedure were investigated by transmissionelectronmicroscopy. RESULTS: ICSI provided a fertilization rate of 66% in cases of severe defective spermatozoa. The ultrastructure revealed severe head and neck alterations in particular. The ultrastructure of the unfertilized oocyte displayed mostly no signs of activation and lack of decondensation of sperm chromatin. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the hypothesis that not severe sperm defects but the lack of intracytoplasmic sperm-oocyte interaction displays the most critical role in the fertilization process in intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
The male factor represents a major problem in the treatment of infertility. New methods of assisted fertilization such as partial zona dissection (PZD), subzonal sperm injection (SUZI) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are described and discussed in terms of their potential benefits for infertility treatment in comparison to classical in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intra-uterine insemination (IUI).
Endometriosis is an oestrogen-dependent disease that is treatable by oestrogen withdrawal, a therapy that has been effectively provided by the use of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist. Complete oestrogen withdrawal results in unacceptable side-effects, in particular in accelerated bone density loss. This problem has been effectively overcome with 'add-back therapy' using low-dose oestrogens and progestins in combination with a GnRH agonist to limit these side-effects, while still allowing regression of endometriotic lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of using a subcutaneous injection of GnRH antagonist in the treatment of endometriosis. All patients (15/15; 100%) reported a symptom-free period during GnRH antagonist treatment, including mood changes, hot flushes, loss of libido, vaginal dryness and other symptoms. Serum oestradiol oscillated around a mean concentration of 50 pg/ml during therapy. Diagnostic laparoscopy before GnRH antagonist administration showed a mean stage III of disease. Regression occurred in 60% of cases (9/15) and the degree of endometriosis declined to stage II. Sequential administration of the GnRH antagonist cetrorelix (Cetrotide) in a 3 mg dosage once weekly over 8 weeks creates a new opportunity for medical treatment of symptomatic endometriosis. Preserving basic oestrogen production during the course of treatment apparently does not influence regression of disease, and has no major side-effects.