Anita Goossens

Pregnancies after testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in non-obstructive azoospermia

In this study (May 1 until August 31, 1994) a total of 15 azoospermic patients suffering from testicular failure were treated with a combination of testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Spermatozoa were available for ICSI in 13 of the patients. Out of 182 metaphase II injected oocytes, two-pronuclear fertilization was observed in 87 (47.80%); 57 embryos (65.51%) were obtained for either transfer or cryopreservation. Three ongoing pregnancies out of 12 replacements (25%) were established, including one singleton, one twin and one triplet gestation. The ongoing implantation rate was 18% (six fetal hearts out of 32 embryos replaced).

Epidemiology and Pathogenesis of Ureaplasma Urealyticum in Spontaneous Abortion and Early Preterm Labor

The role of U. urealyticum in spontaneous and recurrent spontaneous abortion was studied in 633 women. Cervical colonization with U. urealyticum was found in 42.6% of 310 normal pregnant women, in 41.6% of 84 patients who underwent induced abortion, in 41.5% of 41 normal fertile patients, in 53.3% of 122 patients with spontaneous abortion and in 64.5% of 76 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion. The cervical isolation rate was significantly higher in patients with spontaneous abortion (p<0.05) and recurrent spontaneous abortion (p<0.005) than in normal pregnant women. Endometrial colonization was more frequent in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion (27.6%) than in normal fertile women (9.7%) (p<0.05). Moreover, in 6 patients with intact membranes and uncontrollable preterm labor resulting in fetal loss (all between the 20th and 28th week of gestation) U. urealyticum was isolated in 5 of them from the cervix, in 4 patients from the placenta and in 2 out of 4 from the amniotic fluid. Histological examination of the placenta showed signs of chorioamnionitis in 5 patients. From this study we conclude that although U. urealyticum is a common inhabitant of the lower genital tract, it may play a role in the etiology of spontaneous abortion and uncontrollable preterm labor.

Insulin-like growth factor-I receptor densities in human frontal cortex and white matter during aging, in Alzheimer's disease, and in Huntington's disease

Using quantitative autoradiography we have investigated insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I receptors in postmortem-obtained frontal cortex and white matter from 39 individuals without neurological disease, ranging in age from 0 to 95 years, and from 5 patients with Huntingtons disease and 4 with Alzheimers disease. IGF-I receptor densities in white matter were significantly higher in neonates than in adults; during adult life there was no further decline. The higher density of IGF-I receptors in white matter of neonates most likely reflects extensive formation of myelin. There was no significant decrease in IGF-I receptor densities in the cortical mantle with age, suggesting that the cells containing IGF-I receptors in frontal cortex are maintained during the entire life-span. There were no significant alterations in IGF-I receptor densities in frontal cortex and white matter from patients with Huntingtons disease and Alzheimers disease compared with controls from the same age groups.

How successful is TESE-ICSI in couples with non-obstructive azoospermia?

STUDY QUESTION What are the chances of a couple with infertility due to non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) having their genetically own child by testicular sperm extraction combined with ICSI (TESE-ICSI)? SUMMARY ANSWER Candidate TESE-ICSI patients with NOA should be counselled that, when followed-up longitudinally, only a minority (13.4%) of men embarking for TESE eventually become a biological father. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Data available in the literature are only fragmentary because they report either on sperm retrieval rates after TESE or on the outcome of ICSI once testicular spermatozoa has been obtained, mostly in a selected subpopulation. Unfortunately, reliable data to counsel men with NOA on their chance to become a biological father are still lacking. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This is a retrospective cohort study performed in the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Brussel, approved by the institutional review board of the hospital. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING AND METHODS We identified all patients with NOA, based on histology, who had their first testicular biopsy between 1994 and 2009. Patients were followed longitudinally during consecutive ICSI cycles with testicular sperm. The primary outcome measure was live birth delivery. The cumulative live birth delivery rate was calculated, based only on ICSI cycles with testicular sperm (fresh and/or frozen) available for injection. When patients delivered after transfer of supernumerary frozen embryos, this delivery was tallied up to the (unsuccessful) original fresh ICSI cycle. The sperm retrieval rate and pregnancy rate were secondary outcome measures. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Among the 714 men with NOA, 40.5% had successful sperm retrieval at their first TESE. In total, 261 couples had 444 ICSI cycles and 48 frozen embryo transfer cycles, leading to 129 pregnancies and 96 live birth deliveries. Crude and expected cumulative delivery rates after six ICSI cycles were 37 and 78%. LIMITATIONS AND REASON FOR CAUTION A retrospective cohort study design was the only way to study the cumulative delivery rate after TESE-ICSI in couples with NOA. Intrinsic limitations are related to the observational study design. WIDER IMPLICATION OF THE FINDING TESE-ICSI is a breakthrough in the treatment of infertility due to NOA, with almost 4 out of 10 (37%) couples having ICSI obtaining a delivery. However, unselected candidate NOA patients should be counselled, before undergoing TESE, that only one out of seven men (13.4%) eventually father their genetically own child. STUDY FUNDING AND COMPETING INTERESTS None declared.