BACKGROUND Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a secondary hypergonadotrophic amenorrhoea affecting 1-3% of females, whose aetiology is almost unknown. However, inhibin alpha gene (INHalpha) has recently been indicated as candidate in POF pathogenesis. METHODS We analysed patients affected by POF (n = 157) for the missense mutation (769G-->A transition) in the exon 2 of the INHalpha gene. The ...

In vitro follicle growth is a potential approach to preserve fertility for young women who are facing a risk of premature ovarian failure (POF) caused by radiation or chemotherapy. Our two-step follicle culture strategy recapitulated the dynamic human follicle growth environment in vitro. Follicles developed from the preantral to antral stage, and, for the first time, produced meiotically compe...

Premature ovarian failure (POF) causes hypergonadotrophic amenorrhea in 1-3% of females, occurring before the age of 40 among women with chromosomal rearrangements in the long arm of the X chromosome 'critical region'. In this article, we report a case of POF and primary amenorrheain a girl with a de novo reciprocal translocation between chromosomes X and 9. The proband was a 17 years old girl ...

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is an ovarian defect characterized by the premature depletion of ovarian follicles in individuals <40 years old, and is a major cause of infertility in females. Genetic factors are considered to be responsible for the development of POF, however, the exact pathogenesis remains to be elucidated in the majority of cases. In the present study, the single nucleotide ...

The Wt1 gene encodes a nuclear transcription factor that is specifically expressed in ovarian granulosa cells. However, the physiological significance of Wt1 in ovarian follicle development remains elusive. In this study, we found that Wt1(+/R394W) mice were grossly normal, however, the females displayed severe reproductive defects. Only ∼15% of the Wt1(+/R394W) females became pregnant after ma...

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), defined as the occurrence of spontaneous wheals for more than six weeks, has been associated with autoimmune diseases. Herein, we report the unusual association of CSU, Graves' disease, and premature ovarian failure. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) studies were performed. A 36-year-old woman presented symptoms and signs of hyperthyroidism for three months. In ...

We have identified a breakpoint on the X chromosome which is associated with premature ovarian failure (POF). Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) probes of polymorphic microsatellites and fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH), this breakpoint has been narrowed to a region of 300 kb spanned by two P1 artificial chromosomes (PAC). Computer exon prediction and gene homology programs revealed ...

BACKGROUND Premature ovarian failure (POF) before 40 years of age from natural causes affects approximately 1% of adult women, with minor variations between ethnic groups. A recent case of ovarian transplantation between young monozygotic (MZ) twins in which one had undergone unexplained POF at 14 years has prompted a study of the prevalence of POF. METHODS Menopausal ages of 832 Australian a...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to construct a working model for detecting the mitochondrial damage and expression of Mfn2. It furthermore explored the pathogenesis of premature ovarian failure (POF) induced by cisplatin. METHOD Forty young female mice were divided randomly into two groups. The first was the treatment group intraperitoneally administered cisplatin (1.5mg/kg). The untreated contro...