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At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Anti-ZP3 antibodies binding to the human zona pellucida: effect of oocyte-storage conditions.

PROBLEM: The zona pellucida protein 3 (ZP3) is a zona pellucida (ZP) glycoprotein crucially involved in fertilization. ZP3 plays a major role in sperm binding and induction of the acrosome reaction. In different species, ZP3 proteins differ in their primary structure as derived from cDNA clones. The hemizona assay (HZA) is a bioassay that evaluates binding of human sperm to human ZP and is highly predictive of fertilization outcome under in vitro conditions. METHOD: In these studies, we used antisera generated against synthetic ZP3 peptides to compare antibody binding patterns to ZP with sperm-ZP binding capacity under different HZA conditions. RESULTS: Analysis of antibody binding to hemizonae derived from metaphase II human oocytes that were used either after refrigeration at 4 degrees C or stored in a hyperosmotic salt solution revealed a strong reaction with human ZP3. However, treatment of human oocytes using a protocol to freeze embryos with the addition of 1,2 propanediol drastically reduced binding of ZP3 antibodies to the hemizonae. Nevertheless, no significant difference of sperm binding occurred under HZA conditions when oocytes were refrigerated, salt-stored, or frozen with 1,2 propanediol. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the ZP3 protein backbone might be altered by 1,2 propanediol-treatment while the glycoprotein-receptor remains intact. We conclude that antisera against ZP3 peptides can be used as markers for the ZP3 protein backbone in human oocytes and might be useful tools for the evaluation of ZP3 protein integrity.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed2006

Hormonal abnormalities in azoospermic men in Kano, Northern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: We undertook this study to observe the pattern of hormonal abnormalities and testicular pathology in azoospermic male Africans in Kano, Northern Nigeria. METHODS: Eighty consecutive azoospermic infertile males attending fertility clinic in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, were selected for the study. Their semen were analyzed three times at eight weeks interval, after which serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone and prolactin were assayed in serum samples, and histological examination of testicular biopsies done. RESULTS: Of the 80 subjects studied, 32 (40%) had abnormal hormonal levels, 48 (60%) had normal hormonal values and 36 (45%) had testicular pathology. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Endocrinopathies are common in azoospermia. Their contribution to male factor infertility cannot be overemphasized. The main reason for the endocrinopathies is not known but environmental factors, endocrine disruptors and genetic polymorphism have been suggested to be contributory.

Azoospermia↗
PubMed1994

[Sperm motility and fertilization].

Sperm motility is a key function in the process of fertilization. Significant gaps in the knowledge of the mechanisms of control and modulation of sperm motility still remain. It is well known that the percentage of motile sperm is correlated with fertility in vivo but the recent development of assisted reproductive technologies and the extensive use of objective methods to assess sperm movement in vitro indicate that the quality of sperm movement is important too for fertilization. However, the exact pattern of motility characteristics to fulfill fertilization in vitro and in vivo are not clearly established essentially because of the lack of multiparametric and controlled studies in vitro and prospective studies in vivo. There is also presently no evidence for an improvement of fertility when using different pharmacological approaches to increase sperm motility in vitro. Therefore, further efforts are required to improve our basic knowledge of the relations between sperm motility and fertility with the aim to adapt and apply it to the problem of male infertility.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Electrophoretic patterns of spermatozoal nucleoproteins (NP) in fertile men and infertility patients and comparison with NP of somatic cells.

During spermatogenesis in mammals the evolutionary early histones are replaced step by step by more species specific nucleoproteins (protamines). The protamines protect the genetic information of the male against mutagenic or other damaging influences and possibly play a role in male fertility. A method was presented to study the nucleoproteins (NP) of single human ejaculates. This procedure was checked concerning its usability and validity by bull spermatozoa. The NP of cryopreserved human spermatozoa of fertile men and of infertility patients were investigated and compared with the electrophoretic patterns of NP of somatic hepatocytes of rat and mouse. A total of 48 semen samples were studied. Ten of these samples were obtained from semen donors of proven fertility and 38 samples were collected from male partners of infertile couples. Photodensitometrically it could be distinguished between percentages of non-protamines (PNP) and percentages of protamines (PP). The PP varied intra-individually with a mean standard deviation of 34%, analogously to the alterations of classical semen parameters. The PP of fertile men did not significantly differ from the infertility patients with normal spermiogram parameters but showed a significantly higher value compared with the semen samples with pathological spermiograms. On average the PP of all infertile patients were significantly lower than the PP of fertile semen donors.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Fertility, infertility and child survival of Somali women.

The relationship of reproductive patterns, some socio-economic factors and child survival was studied in 766 rural Somali women. A structured questionnaire was the method of data collection. Teenage marriage was the norm for the women, and divorce was very common. The mean number of live births was 5.2, and the mean number of surviving children was 3.7. 2/3 of the women aged 45+ had a parity of 6 or more, about one third had had at least one miscarriage and one fifth had experienced one stillbirth. Primary infertility was observed in 7% of the women aged 45+, while 20% were considered subfertile. Verbal autopsy showed that mortality was highest among infants and accounted for 63% of the child deaths. Major causes of death were neonatal tetanus, diarrhoea and respiratory diseases. Child survival and reproductive outcome ratios were found to be negatively related to the increasing age of the mother and parity. Divorce and widowhood were also found to be associated with low child survival.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1999

Histological patterns in endometrial samples from perimenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of endometrial histology patterns in perimenopausal women. METHODS: Endometrial biopsies (202) taken from perimenopausal women by suction curette were assessed by light microscopy. RESULTS: Out of 142 adequate specimens a total of 82 (57.7%) specimens could not be classified in the well-defined categories of the fertile period because of mixed histological patterns. Of the 142 specimens, 59 (41.5%) showed abnormal secretory endometrium, three (2%) disordered proliferative endometrium and 20 (14.1%) a mixture of non-secretory and secretory endometrium. CONCLUSION: The often used histological classification for endometrium, with well-defined regular patterns based on normal cyclic changes, often does not apply to endometrial tissue obtained from perimenopausal women due to a mixed pattern within one biopsy.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Cytokine pattern in postmenopause.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the pattern of serum cytokine production in postmenopausal women and the relationship with the hormonal status. A group of fertile women served as controls. METHODS: Eighty-two women in apparent good health, non-smokers and without a history of hormone replacement therapy, were enrolled for the study. The women were divided in two groups according to their hormonal status: fertile women (n=34, age 32 +/- 7 years) and postmenopausal women (n=48, age 54 +/- 8 years). Blood samples were withdrawn in the morning, after an overnight fast. RESULTS: Sex hormones (LH, FSH, Estradiol, Progesterone, DHEA, DHEA-S), as well as GH and IGF-1 levels, were significantly higher in the serum of fertile women as compared with their postmenopausal counterparts. Unlike IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12 and IFN-gamma, significant differences were observed in serum IL-6, IL-18, TNFalpha and TNFbeta between groups: both IL-6 and IL-18 were higher in postmenopausal women, while TNFalpha and TNFbeta were significantly lower. There was an inverse relationship between serum DHEA and DHEA-S levels and both IL-6 (r= -0.46, P<0.02) or IL-18 (r= -0.38, P<0.05) serum concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with fertile counterparts, women in postmenopause present an alteration in serum cytokine profile suggesting a prevalence of Th2 lymphocytes.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Age at return marriage and timing of first birth in India's Uttar Pradesh and Kerala states.

The study investigates the relationship between age at marriage and the length of first birth interval in two states of India: Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. Life tables of first-birth intervals and median first-birth intervals are computed for several subgroups of the study population. Multivariate hazards modelling technique is used to study the net effect of age at marriage, controlling for a multiple of socioeconomic factors. The result shows that the average first-birth interval varies by age at marriage and is much longer in Uttar Pradesh than in Kerala.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Mid-luteal serum inhibin-A concentration as a marker of endometrial differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have indicated that the corpus luteum is a major source of circulating inhibin-A and serum concentrations of inhibin-A may reflect the human luteal function. The present prospective study was undertaken to determine the usefulness of mid-luteal serum concentrations of inhibin-A as markers of endometrial receptivity (as assessed by histological dating and alphavbeta3 integrin expression) and whether they are better predictors of endometrial function than serum progesterone. METHODS: Consecutive infertile women (experimental group, n = 50) with regular menstrual cycles, and fertile women who were requesting contraception and had regular menstrual patterns and normal secretory endometria (control group, n = 10) were included. In all women basal body temperature, luteal serum concentrations of oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and inhibin-A, and endometrial biopsies were used in the same cycle to assess luteal function. RESULTS: Out-of-phase mid-secretory endometria were detected in 17 of the 50 infertile women. Lack of alphavbeta3 integrin expression was detected in 27 of the 50 mid-luteal endometrial biopsies. Thus, hormonal concentrations were compared in the mid-luteal phase between the following eight groups of women: group 1 (n = 10), control fertile women; group 2 (n = 50), infertile women (all); subdivided into group 3 (n = 33), with in-phase biopsies; group 4 (n = 17), with out-of-phase endometria; group 5 (n = 23), expressing alphavbeta3 integrin in endometria; group 6 (n = 27), whose endometria did not express alphavbeta3 integrin; group 7 (n = 18), with both in-phase endometrial biopsy and alphavbeta3 integrin expression; and finally group 8 (n = 12), whose endometria were out-of-phase and did not express alphavbeta3 integrin. Mid-luteal serum concentrations of oestradiol, progesterone, prolactin, and inhibin-A of the seven infertile groups were similar to those of the control group of fertile women. No statistically significant difference between the infertile groups was observed for any hormonal parameter considered. CONCLUSION: Mid-luteal serum inhibin-A determination does not accurately reflect endometrial function/maturation and it is not a better indicator of endometrial luteal phase dysfunction than mid-luteal serum progesterone.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Sexuality and fertility concerns of dialysis patients.

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to identify the frequency of sexual and fertility dysfunctions and satisfactions experienced by patients on dialysis therapy and their relationships to life quality variables, and whether patients desired to or received instruction regarding possible sexuality and fertility problems. DESIGN: The study used a descriptive, survey design. SAMPLE/SETTING: A convenience sample was obtained from 7 hospital-based dialysis centers in the state of Iowa. METHOD: A mailed questionnaire, composed of 7 instruments, was used to survey demographic and medical variables, activity level, fertility and sexual dysfunction, intimacy patterns, sexual attitudes, life and health quality, and satisfaction with sexual relationships of patients treated with dialysis therapy. RESULT: Sixty-five percent of the subjects (n = 135) were dissatisfied with their sexual relationship, 40% no longer engaged in intercourse or sexual activity, yet only 25% had received instruction regarding possible dysfunctions. Subjects satisfied with their sexual relationships differed significantly (p < .05) from those who were dissatisfied in activity level, intimacy patterns, and life and health quality with frequency of arousal, orgasm, and acceptance of partner's advances significantly related to sexual satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The standards of care identified by the American Nephrology Nurses' Association regarding sexuality had not been achieved in the sample measured.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The World Fertility Survey: charting global childbearing.

Interviewing some 350,000 women in 42 developing countries and 20 developed countries representing nearly 40% of the world's population, the World Fertility Survey (WFS) is in a unique position to document the historic 1970s slowdown in global population growth. This Bulletin describes efforts begun in 1972 to ensure high quality, internationally comparable, accessible data, the data's importance for policymakers, planners and researchers, and major findings available by early 1982 from directly assisted WFS surveys in 29 developing countries and contraceptive use data from WFS-type surveys in 16 developed countries. Marital fertility has declined in all developing regions except Africa but still averages from 4.6 children/woman in Latin America to 6.7 in Africa, while preferred family size ranges from 3.0 children in Turkey to 8.9 in Senegal--far above the average 2.2-2.5 children/woman needed to end developing countries' population growth in the long run. However, women ages 15-19 prefer nearly 2 children fewer than the oldest women ages 45-49; 3.8 vs. 5.7 on the average. Nearly 1/2 (48%) of married women surveyed in 27 countreis said they wanted no more children. Preventing all unwanted births would reduce birth rates up to 15 births/1000 population in these countries. Overall, 32% of married, fecund women in developing countries are using contraception compared to an average 72% in 16 developed countries. Education, literacy, and more available family planning services increase contraceptive use. Age at marriage is rising in Asia, but this factor alone has little effect on fertility. Infant mortality is higher in many developing countries than previously thought. Breastfeeding is an important restraint on fertility in most developing countries but is declining among more educated, employed, and urban women which could raise fertility if not compensated for by gains in contraceptive use.

Africa↗
PubMed2005

[Proximal determinants of fertility: reproductive behavior among Chamibida indigenous women in Antioquia, Colombia].

The aim of this study was to determine the reproductive timing used by Chamibida indigenous women in Antioquia, Colombia. This socio-demographic study used the reproductive history technique and was conducted in the year 2000. Two hundred and thirty-four homes on the Cristianía indigenous reservation were visited to obtain 253 reproductive histories (83.1% of the women ages 15 to 49). Reproductive behavior was characterized by sexual debut at age 17.8 years (mean), with short intergenesic intervals in 69.0% and an adjusted fertility rate of 5.12 children. This reproductive pattern differs from all other indigenous groups and subgroups in Antioquia. As an explanation, Chamibida women are familiar with and accept Western birth control methods, besides having more access to formal schooling. Current Colombian health system policies are far from appropriate, since they fail to take the indigenous groups' specificities into account.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Is fertility declining in Benin?

This study analyzes reproductive changes in Benin, a West African country with high fertility and low prevalence of use of modern contraceptive methods, using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. Findings indicate that an irreversible fertility transition has started as the result of an emerging pattern of birth limitation and continued desire for the traditional long birth intervals. The data suggest that changes in childhood mortality in combination with an increase in women's education, although modest, have created a demand for fertility control among women; that induced abortion may be one of the means through which such demand is being met, particularly in urban areas; and that the economic crisis of the 1980s was the main catalyst that precipitated the onset of transition. Changes in reproductive preferences and practice suggest a diffusion process, from urban and more educated women to rural and less-educated ones.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Reasons why sterilized women refused reversive contraceptive methods].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the representations of contraceptive methods within a group of sterilized women, aiming at understanding the reasons why they refused those methods. METHODS: A descriptive qualitative study was carried out on 31 sterilized women, randomly selected from a list of patients attending the Family Planning Program of a university hospital. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview. Interview transcription was analyzed according to the Content Analysis method. RESULTS: Refusal to other contraceptive methods was based on representations formed from a mixture of technical information received at health service units, their previous experiences with contraceptive methods and information received in the social environment. Rejection of high efficacy methods (hormonal and IUD) was mostly based on their low innocuousness; refusal to fertility awareness methods (calendar calculation, Billings ovulation method) was due to their low efficacy; and rejection of barrier methods (condom, diaphragm) was due to a culturally patterned sexuality full of interdictions as well as to their low efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The option for female sterilization may be indicative of the refusal to the contraceptive alternatives offered by health services. Reproductive health professionals should increase in their practice the knowledge about personal, socio-economic and cultural factors that affect women's choice of a contraceptive method that could guarantee a better control over their own reproductive life.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Proximate determinants of fertility in Nigeria.

Data from the 1981-82 Nigeria Fertility Survey (NFS) are used to identify the key proximate determinants of fertility in Nigeria. The patterns of their individual and collective effects are analyzed in a search for possible sources of fertility change. Exposure to the risk of childbearing through first marriage is found to be the most important proximate determinant of Nigerian fertility. Subsequent to marriage, fertility is determined mainly by breastfeeding and postpartum sexual abstinence. Where fertility shows significant socioeconomic variations, there are equally identifiable patterns of the impact of the proximate determinants which explain these differentials to a large extent. On a national scale, the observed patterns of the impact of the measured proximate determinants do not appear to suggest that Nigerian fertility is soon to experience a large decline.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Clinical experience in an in vitro fertilization and embryo replacement program of a new method for analysis of urinary estrogens.

The clinical experience in an IVF/ER program of a newly developed commercial kit (Estradiol enzymatique; BioMerieux) to determine urinary estrogens enzymatically, is reported. The study included 157 cycles, and the main indication for treatment was infertility due to tubal factor. Follicular development was stimulated in most cases by a combination of clomiphene citrate, human menopausal gonadotropin and chorionic gonadotropin. In addition to the previously used method to monitor follicular growth, ultrasound, daily urinary estrogens (estradiol + estrone) levels were assayed. A correlation between the pattern of urinary estrogen and the clinical results was found. In cycles with continuously rising estrogen up to the time of hCG administration a higher rate of in vitro fertilization and clinical pregnancies were obtained as compared to cycles where urinary estrogen declined or levelled off. It is concluded that this enzymatic assay of urinary estrogens is a good alternative to increase the precision of follicle monitoring when radioimmunological assay of serum estradiol levels cannot be obtained on a daily routine basis.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗