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PubMed1992

Biochemical analysis of cervical mucus by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Biochemical evaluation of cervical mucus is difficult due to the characteristic rheological properties of this hydrogel. The application of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy proved to be a valuable new method for differentiated biochemical analyses of human cervical mucus. A particular advantage is that it is non-destructive, that it can be applied to specimens of small volume and that no sample preparation, such as solubilization, is necessary.

Cervix Mucus↗
PubMed1990

Chlamydial infection--a female and/or male infertility factor?

After screening a large series (n = 491) of asymptomatic males of infertile partnerships for chlamydial immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies (Chlam AB), no significant influence of past chlamydial infection was found with regard to semen analysis, postcoital testing, in vitro sperm-cervical mucus penetration tests with hormonally standardized cervical mucus, circulating antisperm antibodies (detected with three different methods), local IgG and IgA antibodies (detected by means of the mixed antiglobulin reaction test) on the sperm surface, the sperm-cervical mucus contact test, and a microbial screening of semen samples for mycoplasmas and other potentially pathogenic micro-organisms. However, when the findings were correlated with infertility factors of patients' female partners and the subsequent pregnancy rate in a prospective study, a significant positive correlation of male Chlam AB with a tubal factor in their wives as cause of the couple's infertility was found. The results suggest that the main influence of Chlamydia trachomatis on male fertility is based on sexual transmission and negative influence on tubal function of female partners, but not on reduced sperm functional capacity.

Antibodies, Bacterial↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Presence of interleukin-8 and the IL-1 receptor antagonist in the cervical mucus of fertile and infertile women.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines are involved in almost every aspect of reproduction, and recent studies suggested a relationship between cytokines and male/female infertility. In the present study, the levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) were determined in the cervical mucus of fertile and infertile women. METHODS: Groups of patients were formed according to the results of the standard procedure for infertility investigation, including postcoital test and the presence of antispermatozoid antibodies in the sera of both partners and in seminal plasma, by mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) test and Kibrick agglutination test. IL-8 and IL-1Ra levels were determined in solubilized (ultrasonographic sonication) cervical mucus sampled in the midcycle by commercial ELISA kits and expressed as pg/mg proteins. RESULTS: The groups were designated as fertile (n=20) and infertile (n=48). The latter was divided into two subgroups, one consisting of infertile women with positive postcoital test and without antispermatozoid antibodies (n=30), and the other designated as infertile women with negative postcoital test (n=18). This subgroup was composed of women with negative postcoital test and without antibodies (n=10) and the women with negative postcoital test with antibodies (n=8). Similar levels of IL-8 and IL-1Ra were noted in the cervical mucus of infertile women and women with positive postcoital test and without antispermatozoid antibodies. A tendency of decrease (p=0.052) and significant decrease in IL-8 levels (p<0.05) was noted in negative postcoital test group and negative postcoital test group without antibodies, respectively, compared to the levels in the fertile examinees. A significant rise in IL-1Ra levels (p<0.05) was detected in the mucus of negative postcoital test group with further increase in negative postcoital test group with antibodies (p<0.02). CONCLUSION: Changes in IL-8 and IL-1Ra levels in the cervical mucus of infertile patients with negative postcoital test suggested the existence of the relationship between cervical cytokines and infertility in these women.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Methods used to self-predict ovulation. A comparative study.

Time of ovulation as detected by a self-test of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine was compared with time of ovulation as detected by self-observation of cervical mucus. Twenty regularly cycling women monitored their cervical mucus and urine LH for two complete menstrual cycles. Of the cycles that had an LH surge, 100% were on the peak day of cervical mucus or within three days before the peak day. Self-observation of cervical mucus, therefore, can be an accurate method of determining optimal fertility.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Late infertile days in early postpartum cycles.

Luteal phase abnormalities in early menstrual cycles after pregnancy have been shown to cause confusion in the practice of natural family planning (NFP) for some patients and to restrict severely the number of late infertile days available to others. The cause of the abnormalities is uncertain but appears to be related to the nursing status of the patient.

Body Temperature↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of cryopreservation on penetration ability of human spermatozoa into bovine cervical mucus.

Cryopreserved sperm exhibit lower fertilizing capacity in comparison to fresh sperm, partly due to effects of glycerol as the common cryoprotectant medium. Since standard semen analysis is not a good predictive method to assess sperm fertilizing capacity, functional tests like cervical mucus penetration may provide more useful information. A total of 24 semen samples were examined before and after cryopreservation for sperm parameters as well as number and motility of penetrated sperm into bovine cervical mucus (BCM) as an alternative for human cervical mucus. Freezing and thawing procedures have negative effects on sperm penetration into cervical mucus. No significant relation was noticed between sperm motility percentage or its penetration into BCM before and after cryopreservation, which denotes the variability in resistance of sperm to damaging effects of freezing.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Interleukin-18 in cervical mucus and amniotic fluid: relationship to microbial invasion of the amniotic fluid, intra-amniotic inflammation and preterm delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between interleukin (IL)-18 in cervical mucus and amniotic fluid and microbial invasion of amniotic fluid, preterm delivery and intra-amniotic inflammation in women in preterm labour, with preterm prelabour rupture of membranes and at term. DESIGN: A prospective follow up study. SETTING: Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. SAMPLE: Women with singleton pregnancies (<34 weeks) presenting with preterm labour (n = 87) or preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (n = 47) and women, not in labour, at term (n = 28). METHODS: Amniotic fluid was retrieved transabdominally. Cervical mucus was taken from the uterine cervix of women in preterm labour and at term. IL-18 was analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: IL-18 in relation to microbial invasion of the amniotic fluid, delivery within seven days or <34 weeks of gestation and intra-amniotic inflammation. RESULTS: The levels of IL-18 in cervical mucus and amniotic fluid were higher in women with preterm labour than in those not in labour at term. In the preterm labour group, significant associations were found between elevated IL-18 in amniotic fluid and microbial invasion of the amniotic fluid, as well as between delivery within seven days or <34 weeks of gestation and intra-amniotic inflammation. Delivery was delayed longer in the preterm prelabour rupture of membranes subgroup with IL-18 >or=1.0 ng/mL than in that with IL-18 <1.0 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS: In the preterm labour group, high IL-18 in amniotic fluid (but not in the cervix) was associated with microbial invasion of the amniotic fluid, intra-amniotic inflammation and prompt delivery. On the other hand, elevated IL-18 in preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes group correlated with a longer interval to delivery.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Quantitative post-coital test: sperm counts in cervical mucus after enzymatic liquefaction.

The post-coital test involves direct microscopic examination of sperm number and motility in cervical mucus. The results depend on the quality of the mucus and the distribution of spermatozoa within the sample. To progress from such qualitative data to quantitative measurements of the spermatozoa present in post-coital mucus, we have developed methods to measure sperm concentrations in enzymatically liquefied post-coital cervical mucus. The mucus score and sperm motility were measured prior to mucus liquefaction, and, together with sperm concentration, they allowed the calculation of the total number of motile spermatozoa present. A combination of bromelin and glycosidases proved to be more efficient in achieving reliable mucus liquefaction than treatment with bromelin alone, and was used to liquefy a series of 36 post-coital test samples. Total sperm numbers ranged between 19 x 10(3) and 16.8 x 10(6). Of the samples, 75% contained < 3 x 10(6) spermatozoa, and 39% contained < 1 x 10(6) spermatozoa. Sperm motility was very high in these samples, except for a distinct subset of samples (19%) in which the total sperm motility was markedly decreased ( < 20%). The measurement of sperm concentration in liquefied cervical mucus will help to determine normal values for the post-coital test, and to estimate the number of motile spermatozoa reaching the upper female genital tract.

Bromelains↗
PubMed2000

Interleukin-8 levels and granulocyte counts in cervical mucus during pregnancy.

PROBLEM: We measured interleukin-8 (IL-8) and granulocyte counts in cervical mucus to assess local immunity and parturition. METHOD OF STUDY: We detected IL-8 by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blotting. Granulocytes were counted on a slide glass containing mucus from the external cervical os. RESULTS: ELISA and Western blotting revealed IL-8 in cervical mucus from both nonpregnant and pregnant women. There were no significant differences in cervical mucus IL-8 levels or granulocyte counts between follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases. However, IL-8 and granulocyte counts were significantly decreased after menopause. IL-8 and granulocyte counts were increased significantly during pregnancy, and were further increased after 38 weeks of gestation and at labor. IL-8 levels were significantly correlated with granulocyte counts, based on the study of 678 samples (P <0.0001). CONCLUSION: IL-8 is involved in the increase of cervical granulocytes and in the process of parturition.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Ovulation detection.

Despite major achievements in elucidating many details of the physiologic processes of human reproduction during the past 2 decades, a simple, reliable, and inexpensive method for the prediction and detection of the time of ovulation is still not available. For clinical purposes, studies of BBT and biophysical and biochemical constituents of cervical mucus appear to be the most practical methods of ovulation detection. The development of rapid and easy-to-use urinary LH assays and steroid assay kits for measurement of urinary and salivary estrogen and progesterone or their metabolites may further improve the precision of ovulation timing.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1993

"Natural family planning": effective birth control supported by the Catholic Church.

During 20-22 September Manchester is to host the 1993 follow up to last year's "earth summit" in Rio de Janeiro. At that summit the threat posed by world overpopulation received considerable attention. Catholicism was perceived as opposed to birth control and therefore as a particular threat. This was based on the notion that the only method of birth control approved by the church--natural family planning--is unreliable, unacceptable, and ineffective. In the 20 years since E L Billings and colleagues first described the cervical mucus symptoms associated with ovulation natural family planning has incorporated these symptoms and advanced considerably. Ultrasonography shows that the symptoms identify ovulation precisely. According to the World Health Organisation, 93% of women everywhere can identify the symptoms, which distinguish adequately between the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle. Most pregnancies during trials of natural family planning occur after intercourse at times recognised by couples as fertile. Thus pregnancy rates have depended on the motivation of couples. Increasingly studies show that rates equivalent to those with other contraceptive methods are readily achieved in the developed and developing worlds. Indeed, a study of 19,843 poor women in India had a pregnancy rate approaching zero. Natural family planning is cheap, effective, without side effects, and may be particularly acceptable to the efficacious among people in areas of poverty.

Catholicism↗
PubMed2004

[Antizonal antibodies in ovulatory cervical mucus and in serum of patients with fertility disorders].

OBJECTIVE: Detection of antizonal antibodies (aZPs) in cervical ovulatory mucus and in serum in patients with fertility failure. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty of Charles University, and Faculty Hospital, Plzen. METHODS: Detection of aZPs (passive hemagglutination test) in cervical ovulatory mucus (OM) and in serum from 105 patients with reproductive failure and in 25 fertile healthy women (control group). RESULTS: Positive levels of aZP in OM were found in 79 (75.2%) patients, in 56 of them aZP were observed in OM and in serum together, only ovulatory aZPs in 23 (21.9%), and only serum aZPs in 18 (17.1%) were found. aZPs predominate in 47 patients (of 48 women) with more than two in vitro fertilization processes, in thirty of them aZPs in serum and in OM together were observed. On the other hand, repeated spontaneous miscarriage and obesity have no connection with detection of aZPs in our patients. CONCLUSION. The increased levels of serum and OM aZPs are very often seen in patients after repeated unsuccessful IVF. This very important result in reproductive immunology means to go on the micromanipulation technics combined with immunosuppression in the next planned IVF procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Leukocytes migrate through three-dimensional gels of midcycle cervical mucus.

The migration of leukocytes through mucus must be an essential factor in the mucosal immune response, particularly during mucosal invasion by pathogens. We used two methods to evaluate the ability of neutrophils to migrate through human midcycle cervical mucus: (i) direct visualization of cell migration within freshly collected mucus samples and (ii) quantification of cell penetration through a layer of mucus overlying a monolayer of cultured intestinal epithelial cells from the T84 cell line. Neutrophils migrated rapidly through human midcycle cervical mucus: the random motility coefficient (mu) ranged from 1.2 to 5.6 x 10(-8) cm2/sec in different mucus samples. The rate and pattern of neutrophil migration in cervical mucus were identical to those in a structurally similar collagen gel (0.4 mg/ml). Therefore, we also quantitatively examined the migratory behavior of human neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes from peripheral blood, as well as leukocytes isolated from semen, in collagen gels as a model of cell migration in cervical mucus. In the absence of stimulation, mu was approximately 10(-8) cm2/s for neutrophils and lymphocytes; monocytes and seminal leukocytes were immotile. In all cases, mu increased with the addition of FMLP. Furthermore, neutrophils were able to penetrate layers of mucus overlying monolayers of T84 cells when the gel thickness was less than approximately 500 microns. These results suggest that leukocytes migrate effectively through mucus, a process which may be related to their ability to function in the mucosal immune system or to serve as vectors for the translocation of infectious pathogens like HIV.

Cell Movement↗
PubMed1986

Intrauterine inseminations with washed human spermatozoa.

The success of intrauterine inseminations with washed human spermatozoa was evaluated in four groups of patients. The first two groups were couples in whom either the man or the woman had detectable circulating sperm-agglutinating antibodies. The third group included couples where the woman exhibited hostile or absent cervical mucus, whereas the fourth group represented couples with oligozoospermic males. The couples underwent 3.7 +/- 2.1 insemination cycles, with a 30% overall pregnancy rate for all four groups. Intrauterine inseminations of women with hostile cervical mucus yielded a 68% conception rate. Couples with either male or female serum sperm-agglutinating antibodies showed 25% and 40% pregnancy rates, respectively. However, none of the couples with oligozoospermic males achieved pregnancy. Intrauterine inseminations with washed human spermatozoa thus represent a satisfactory method of achieving pregnancy in women with hostile cervical mucus and in couples with circulating sperm agglutinating antibodies. Couples in whom oligozoospermia has been identified as the principal cause of infertility do not seem to benefit from this therapy.

Adult↗