heterotopic pregnancy (hp) is the simultaneous occurrence of intra- and extrauterine pregnancies. it is a rare event in spontaneous pregnancies with an incidence of less than 1:15000 however the frequency has increased to 1% in accordance with the widespread use of assisted reproductive techniques (art). the pre-operative diagnosis of this condition is generally difficult and it would be life t...

Successful implantation depends both on the quality of the embryo and on the endometrial receptivity. The latter depends on progesterone-induced changes in gene expression, a process that has been characterized by microarray analysis. One of the genes whose transcription appears to be enhanced during the receptive period is monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). Our first objective was to confirm the inc...

Implantation S1 family serine proteinases (ISPs) are tryptases involved in embryo hatching and uterine implantation in the mouse. The two different ISP proteins (ISP1 and ISP2) have been detected in both pre- and post-implantation embryo tissue. To date, native ISP obtained from uterus and blastocyst tissues has been isolated only as an active hetero-dimer that exhibits trypsin-like substrate s...

In the last 30 years, genetic testing techniques have been developed to identify chromosomally normal embryos in vitro, thereby potentially increasing the proportion of successful cycles with elective single-embryo transfer, and minimizing twin-pregnancy complications and miscarriages. This testing is termed "pre-implantation genetic screening" (PGS), in contrast to preimplantation genetic diag...

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS), mainly associated with the regulation of blood pressure, has been recently investigated in female reproductive organs and the developing foetus. Angiotensin II (Ang II) influences oviductal gamete movements and foetal development, but there is no information about RAS in the early embryo. The aim of this study was to determine whether RAS components are prese...

BACKGROUND The molecular basis of changes underlying the altered sensitivity of the uterine luminal epithelium (LE) to the embryo over the peri-implantation period is not fully understood. METHODS Microarray analysis was performed on purified LE isolated from the pseudo-pregnant mouse uterus at 12-h intervals from pre-receptivity through the implantation window to refractoriness. The aim was ...

Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) affects adversely implantation following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. COH with gonadotropins alters endometrial receptivity and luteal function. In addition periovulatory endometrial characteristics in stimulated cycles are considerably different compared with the natural cycles, and periovulatory secretory transformation is consistently ...

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent cell lines that can be maintained indefinitely in an early developmental state. ESC culture conditions almost always require the cytokine LIF to maintain self-renewal. As ESCs are not homogeneous but contain multiple populations reminiscent of the blastocyst, identifying the target cells of LIF is necessary to understand the propagation of pluripotenc...

Gap junctions have an important role in cell-to-cell communication, a process obviously required for embryo implantation. Uterine luminal epithelium (LE) is the first contact for an implanting embryo and is critical for the establishment of uterine receptivity. Microarray analysis of the LE from peri-implantation mouse uterus showed low-level expression of 19 gap junction proteins in preimplant...

OBJECTIVE To determine the relative efficacy of ultrasound-guided embryo transfer and embryo transfer by clinical touch alone. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials comparing ultrasound-guided embryo transfer with embryo transfer by clinical touch alone. SETTING Infertility centers providing treatment with in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer. PATIE...