CONTEXT Despite its frequency, the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is still a difficult diagnosis in endocrinology, gynecology, and reproductive medicine. To help solve this issue, the Rotterdam consensus conference proposed to include the ultrasonographic follicle count as a new diagnostic criterion, in addition to hyperandrogenism and oligo-anovulation. Unfortunately, its assessment does not...

Background: The fibroblast growth factors (FGF-4) are a group of heparin-binding single chain polypeptides that play a pivotal role in development, cell growth, tissue repairing and transformation. The aim of this study is to improve development and maturation outcome of vitrified mouse pre-antral follicle by adding of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) into medium culture. Materials and Methods: P...

BACKGROUND Sono-automatic volume calculation (SonoAVC) automatically identifies and measures the dimensions of hypoechogenic areas within datasets acquired using three-dimensional ultrasound. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of automated antral follicle counts according to their relative sizes in women undergoing assisted reproduction treatment (ART). METHODS A...

BACKGROUND This study tested factors affecting mouse follicle growth in vitro, to determine end-points marking follicle function in vitro. METHODS Pre-antral follicles (mean 137 microm) from B6CBF1 mice were cultured in a substrate-adherent system for < or = 14 days. FSH (0-1000 mIU/ml) day of HCG (1.5 IU/ml days 9-14) protein supplement [fetal calf serum (FCS) (x2) mouse serum (x2) hypogonad...

BACKGROUND Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a biomarker that predicts the number of antral follicles and is involved in follicle arrest for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). We investigated the association between the characteristic hyperandrogenemia, insulin resistance (IR), AMH, and the morphology and size of ovaries for women with PCOS. METHODS A total of 99 Taiwanese women with ...

The objective of the study was to examine the effect of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) on 17β-estradiol (E2) synthesis and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) action in bovine granulosa cells. We found that granulosa cells in the bovine antral follicle, in addition to the uterus and the CL, are also the site of LPA synthesis and the target for LPA action in the bovine reproductive tract. Our findin...

OBJECTIVES To compare the interobserver reliability of antral follicle counts made using real-time two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound with offline counts made from stored three-dimensional (3D) data and to assess the time required for such counts. METHODS Two observers conducted transvaginal ultrasound examinations in 45 subfertile women in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Antr...

A single natural loss of function mutation of the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) has been described to date. Present in the Finnish population it markedly impairs receptor function, blocking follicle development at the primary stage and presenting as primary amenorrhea with atrophic ovaries. When Western European women with this phenotype were examined for FSHR mutations the resul...

In contrast to most hormonal biomarkers of the follicular status, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is exclusively produced by the granulosa cells of a wide range of follicles (primary to the early antral stages), presumably FSH-independently and with little susceptibility to disorders of antral follicle growth during the luteal-follicular transition. This paper summarizes the authors' clinical rese...