Zofnat Wiener-Megnazi

Advanced paternal age and reproductive outcome

Women have been increasingly delaying the start of motherhood in recent decades. The same trend is seen also for men. The influence of maternal age on fertility, chromosomal anomalies, pregnancy complications, and impaired perinatal and post-natal outcome of offspring, has been thoroughly investigated, and these aspects are clinically applied during fertility and pregestational counseling. Male aging and reproductive outcome has gained relatively less attention. The purpose of this review is to evaluate updated and relevant literature on the effect of paternal age on reproductive outcome.

Analyzing Factors Affecting the Success Rate of Frozen–Thawed Embryos

AbstractPurpose: In recent years the infertile population applying for IVF treatments was changed and so the indications for performing intracellular sperm injection (ICSI). The aim of this study was to analyze predicting factors of our thawing cycles. Methods: From December 1998 to July 2001, 440 consecutive thawing cycles were performed. Patient characteristics were examined. The number of cryopreserved embryos, number of transferred embryos, the timing of cryopreservation (48 h vs.72 h), and embryo survival rate were analyzed as a possible predictor for pregnancies achievement. Results: Conventional IVF patients characteristic was significantly different from ICSI population and analysis has been performed for every population separately. In the IVF population the women age, the number of transferred embryos, and timing of cryopreservation were factors significantly influencing the pregnancy rate. Interestingly, in the ICSI population only the number of transferred embryos was found to be a predictive factor. Conclusion: ICSI and IVF cycles should be analyzed separately. Not all the factors influencing the success rate in the conventional IVF population are valid in the ICSI population.

Habits of cell phone usage and sperm quality – does it warrant attention?

Male infertility constitutes 30-40% of all infertility cases. Some studies have shown a continuous decline in semen quality since the beginning of the 20th century. One postulated contributing factor is radio frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted from cell phones. This study investigates an association between characteristics of cell phone usage and semen quality. Questionnaires accessing demographic data and characteristics of cell phone usage were completed by 106 men referred for semen analysis. Results were analysed according to WHO 2010 criteria. Talking for ≥1 h/day and during device charging were associated with higher rates of abnormal semen concentration (60.9% versus 35.7%, P < 0.04 and 66.7% versus 35.6%, P < 0.02, respectively). Among men who reported holding their phones ≤50 cm from the groin, a non-significantly higher rate of abnormal sperm concentration was found (47.1% versus 11.1%). Multivariate analysis revealed that talking while charging the device and smoking were risk factors for abnormal sperm concentration (OR = 4.13 [95% CI 1.28-13.3], P < 0.018 and OR = 3.04 [95% CI 1.14-8.13], P < 0.027, respectively). Our findings suggest that certain aspects of cell phone usage may bear adverse effects on sperm concentration. Investigation using large-scale studies is thus needed.

The effect of short-term elevation of 17B estradiol (E2) levels on the coagulation system as measured by D-Dimer in women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the short-term effect of elevated estrogen levels on the coagulation system, as measured by D-dimer in in vitro fertilization (IVF). Design: Prospective open cohort trial. Setting: University affiliated IVF division. Patients: A total of 62 IVF patients. Interventions: Serum 17B estradiol (E2) and D-dimer levels were measured in patients undergoing long protocol IVF at down regulation (DR) (E2 ≤200 pmol/L) and on the day of oocyte retrieval (OR). Data was analyzed and correlated with clinical and laboratory parameters. Main Outcome Measures: Serum D-dimer levels at DR and oocyte pick-up days and their association with clinical and laboratory parameters. Results: From DR to OR day serum D-dimer levels increased in 31 (66%) and decreased in 16 (34%) women. Mean increased was by 21% ( P 2 and among 57.6% of patients with BMI 2 ( P P = 0.06). Prothrombin time (PT) on DR day was shorter among patients whose D-dimer levels increased ( P Conclusions: D-dimer serum levels increase during ovarian stimulation; however, levels rarely exceed the normal range. Therefore, short-term exposure to supraphysiological E2 levels in IVF does not seem to affect thromboembolic status as expressed by D-dimer levels. D-dimer increase was associated with a shorter PT on DR day and tended to be comprehensive and higher among overweight women. Therefore, obesity may pose a risk factor for thromboembolism.

Immunosuppressive properties of follicular fluid and media conditioned by zygotes correlate with subsequent conception in in vitro fertilization

Dirnfeld M, Lahat N, Daniel‐Spiegel E, Wiener‐Megnazi Z, Goldman S, Abramovici H, Shalev E. Immunosuppressive properties of follicular fluid and media conditioned by zygotes correlate with subsequent conception in in vitro fertilization. AJRI 2002; 48:329–333