View clinical trials related to Fertility.
Filter by:Compare FDG PET-CT parameters between azoospermia patients having an extraction of sperm cells by positive testicular extraction and those with a negative extraction.
In cattle less than 10% of the embryos develop to the blastocyst stage when embryos are cultured individually, however when bovine embryos are cultured in groups a typical 25-35% of blastocysts can be observed. This tendency, i.e. improved embryo development in group culture, has also been demonstrated in other mammalian species, such as mouse, cat and human. The main reason for this beneficial outcome of group culture has been ascribed to the presence of autocrine factors, which are factors secreted by preimplantation embryos that act upon the embryo itself or the neighboring embryos . Although group culture systems are common in in vitro production systems for animal embryos, it is rarely done in human settings, where individual follow-up of the embryo during the whole culture period is of utmost importance. Recently a CE-labelled culture device has been designed for human embryos, that allow to combine the benefits of both group culture approaches and individual culture. The WOW dish is commercially available by Primo Vision and consists of 9 small microwells on the bottom of the plate, so that the embryos can be cultivated individually in a microwell, but covered by the same drop of culture medium. In this clinical randomized trial, 158 patients will be included of which half of the fertilized oocytes will be cultured individually (standard culture system) and half of the fertilized oocytes will be cultured in group in a WOW dish, both during five days of culture. The aim of this study is to increase the number of blastocysts suitable for transfer or cryopreservation by culturing the embryos in WOW dishes.
The investigators are testing the hypothesis that two ounces of whole-shelled walnuts/day added to the diet of men seeking care for infertility will beneficially affect sperm parameters and fertility. The investigators will compare the walnut intervention to the commonly suggested recommendation of adding an OTC multivitamin supplement to the diet.
The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of conducting an Internet-based prospective pregnancy study with preconception enrollment with women completing daily journals for up to 12 months while trying to conceive and weekly through pregnancy if it occurs.
A new concept for observing the fine morphology of spermatozoa at high magnification (x6000) with an inverted microscope, a numeric camera using differential interference contrast has been developed (1). This technique called Motile Sperm Organellar Morphology Examination allows to see some abnormalities, mainly vacuoles on the head of spermatozoa. These vacuoles appear to be related to sperm DNA damage and to affect embryo developmental potential (2, 3, 4). The application of Motile Sperm Organellar Morphology Examination may represent an improvement in the evaluation of semen quality, with some potential clinical repercussions at the diagnostic/prognostic level. First of all, the investigators need data on fertile men in order to define " normality " of sperm morphology at high magnification. The aim of this study is therefore to better characterize these vacuoles (number, surface, position) in a population of men fertile in order to establish normality criteria.
The United States has the highest prevalence of obesity among all countries surveyed in 2012 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Maternal obesity is linked with anovulation, menstrual cycle abnormalities, subfertility, fetal loss, obstetrical complications and congenital anomalies. Changes in reproductive hormones and diminished oocyte quality have also been demonstrated. A gap of knowledge exists as the mechanisms underlying these harmful effects are poorly understood and no specific treatments exist. This proposal will test the hypothesis that dietary omega-3 FA will improve the output of hypothalamicpituitary- ovarian axis in obese women. The investigators will perform paired assessments before and after supplementation in 10 obese and 10 normal weight women. To test the pituitary and hypothalamic output, the investigators will examine the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) responsiveness during frequent blood sampling. To test the corpus luteum function, the investigators will examine urinary reproductive hormones (E1c, estrone conjugates, and Pdg, pregnanediol glucuronide) over an entire menstrual cycle. Our ultimate goal is to collect preliminary data for an adequately powered randomized control trial.
The aim of our study is to define the optimal ovarian stimulation protocol concerning PGD and for this reason we plan a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist protocol versus GnRH antagonist protocol. The follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) preparation in both arms will be highly purified FSH (Menopur®).
PIF: biomarker of successful implantation To overcome the poor reproductive potential of embryos generated during in vitro fertilization cycles and the lack of markers enabling the identification of the most competent ones, it is common to transfer multiple embryos. However this practice is associated with the risks of multi-fetal pregnancies and high morbidity/mortality. Ideally, the availability of a marker specifically produced by viable embryos would permit the transfer of a single embryo (SET) without affecting the chances of pregnancy and, most importantly, capable to drastically reduce multiple pregnancies after IVF. In preliminary work, we demonstrated that no pregnancy resulted following the transfer of embryos where PIF was undetectable in culture media.(Keramitsoglou, T et al. ASRI Meeting, Hamburg, 2012) Using a non-invasive method of detection of PIF in the media surrounding the embryo will be correlated to live birth following single embryo transfer. By selecting only viable embryos, it will reduce the need for multiple IVF cycles, increase the rate of pregnancy outcome associated with SET, and will minimize multi-fetal pregnancy that has very high medical and societal costs both in pregnancy and after delivery.
Endometriosis is a hormone dependent disease of women, in which endometrial tissue (the cells which line the uterus or womb) are found outside the uterus (womb). Some women with endometriosis may be infertile. However, treatments for infertility such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) or IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) appear to be less successful, i.e. the pregnancy rates are lower, for women with endometriosis than for women who may be infertile for other reasons. Since endometriosis is hormone dependent, it has been suggested that suppressing the activity of hormones produced by the ovaries (which affect endometrial growth) may inactivate endometriosis and so increase the chances of pregnancy. Recently it has been proposed that taking the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) for 6 to 8 weeks before IVF or IVF-ICSI treatment could be used for this purpose. For our study, which is a randomised controlled trial, women with endometriosis meeting the study criteria planning to undergo IVF or IVF-ICSI at the Oxford Fertility Unit will be recruited. Study participants will be randomised into 2 arms: experimental group and control group. The experimental group will be instructed to complete an 8 week course of OCP before beginning standard IVF treatment. The control group do not take any study medication before beginning standard IVF treatment. The IVF or IVF-ICSI treatment for both groups is not altered by participation in the study. The aim of the study will be to determine if pretreatment with OCP improves IVF or IVF-ICSI success rates, such as live birth and pregnancy rates, in patients who suffer from endometriosis. The study is funded by the Oxford Fertility Unit.
The purpose of this study is to determine if utilizing GnRH antagonists versus agonist long protocol during controlled ovarian stimulation (COH) with human-derived gonadotropins for assisted reproduction affects IVF outcome, peak estradiol level, and duration of stimulation.