Serum Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Levels Research Articles

Assessment of Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Folate Levels in Recently Identified Pregnant Females.

Background: Pregnancy is a critical period where optimal maternal and fetal health depends on adequate nutritional status. Deficiencies in essential vitamins, such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate, can result in adverse health outcomes. Objective: This study aims to assess the serum levels of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate in early pregnancy. Methodology: This cross-sectional research was conducted at Kurdistan Private Hospital in Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, from September 2022 to October 2023. The study included 150 pregnant women, with ages ranging from 18 to 45 years. Serum levels of vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate were measured using the Automatic Clinical Chemistry Analyzer COBAS e 411 (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland). Results: The mean age of the participants was 29 years (standard deviation [SD] = 6.2 years), with ages ranging from 18 to 45 years. The average serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) level was 4,292 mIU/mL (SD = 3,947 mIU/mL), with a range of 98 to 10,000 mIU/mL. The mean serum levels were 17.8 ng/mL (SD = 11.6) for vitamin D, 367 pg/mL (SD = 245) for vitamin B12, and 11.5 ng/mL (SD = 4.6) for folate. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was significant, with 92 participants (61.3%) having levels below 20 ng/mL, 39 participants (26%) having insufficient levels ranging from 20 to 29 ng/mL, and only 19 participants (12.7%) having sufficient levels between 30 and 100 ng/mL. No cases of vitamin D toxicity (>150 ng/mL) were observed. Regarding vitamin B12, 32 participants (21.3%) had deficient levels (<200 pg/mL), while 118 participants (78.7%) had normal levels. Folate analysis revealed that 3 participants (2%) had moderate deficiency (2-3 ng/mL), 14 participants (9.3%) had mild deficiency (3-6 ng/mL), and there were no cases of severe folate deficiency (<2 ng/mL). Pearson correlation analysis showed weak correlations between the study variables, with the strongest being a weak negative correlation between age and serum folate levels (-0.18). Conclusions: The study found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the pregnant women included in the study, while the levels of folate and vitamin B12 were comparable to worldwide estimates. These findings focus attention on the importance of monitoring and addressing nutritional deficiencies at the beginning and throughout pregnancy. They also underline the need for preventive health interventions to correct these deficiencies and achieve the best outcomes for both maternal and fetal health.

Single day 14 serum hCG values allow prediction of viable pregnancy and are significantly higher in frozen as compared to fresh single blastocyst transfer

PurposeTo evaluate if single serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level measurements are sufficient for pregnancy monitoring after single embryo transfer (sET) and to compare the hCG levels between fresh (FRET) and frozen embryo transfers (FET) in medically assisted reproduction.MethodsThis was a retrospective exploratory cohort study including all patients who met the inclusion criteria, who received a single FRET (n = 249) or FET (n = 410) of a day five blastocyst at the IVF clinic at the Johannes Kepler University Linz between 2011 and 2020. hCG levels were measured on day 14 after embryo transfer. Threshold values for the viability of pregnancies were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.ResultsSignificantly higher hCG levels were found in those who received FET than in those who received FRET (1222.8 ± 946.7 mU/ml vs. 862.7 ± 572.9 mU/ml; p < 0.001). Optimal threshold values predicting a viable pregnancy were 368.5 mU/ml and 523 mU/ml in the FRET and FET groups, respectively.ConclusionsAfter FET, higher hCG values after 14 days of embryo transfer must be considered in pregnancy monitoring. Additionally, a single threshold hCG value seems to be sufficient for determining pregnancy viability. To exclude ectopic pregnancies, subsequent ultrasound examination is a mandatory requirement.

Pediatric primary extragonadal choriocarcinoma - A study on male patients at a single tertiary medical institution

BackgroundPrimary extragonadal choriocarcinoma (PEGCC) in male is rare. It is highly malignant, typically presents with distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis, and responds poorly to treatment. Because of its associated high levels of PD-L1, the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway is a likely therapeutic target. Herein, we report our experience of treating pediatric PEGCC in six boys at a tertiary hospital. MethodsWe analyzed the data of six boys with pathologically confirmed PEGCC between 2009 and 2021. Their clinicodemographic and histopathological characteristics as well as treatments and clinical outcomes were retrieved from their medical charts. ResultsThe patients' median age was 15 (range: 12–17) years. The most common primary tumor site was the mediastinum (67%, 4/6), with one case each in the retroperitoneum (16.7%) and brain (16.7%). Except for the patient with brain PEGCC, all presented with metastasis at the time of diagnosis. The following metastatic sites were observed: the lungs (100%, 5/5), brain (3/5, 60%), liver (3/5, 60%), kidneys (2/5, 40%), and spleen (1/5, 20%). Most patients had dry cough, dyspnea, and hemoptysis at initial presentation, likely due to lung metastasis. Serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels were highly elevated in all patients. All patients received platinum-based cytotoxic chemotherapy. The patient with brain choriocarcinoma underwent surgical tumor resection; all others underwent only surgical biopsy. Strong positive PD-L1 immunohistochemical staining was noted for two patients. One patient received the PD-L1 inhibitor pembrolizumab and achieved a good response. Our cohort's 1-year survival rate was 33.3%, with a median survival of 4.34 months. Serum HCG levels remained normal in the two survivors during follow-up visits. ConclusionThe poor response to current platinum-based chemotherapy remains a major challenge in the management of pediatric PEGCC. Adding pembrolizumab to a conventional chemotherapy regimen may improve the outcomes in boys with PEGCC.

Nongestational ovarian choriocarcinoma with bilateral teratoma: A rare case report and literature review.

Trophoblastic neoplasms are often associated with pregnancy, and nongestational trophoblastic neoplasms are extremely rare. Nongestational ovarian choriocarcinoma (NGCO) is a highly aggressive germ cell-derived tumor frequently presenting with early hematogenous metastasis. Herein, we report a case of a 28-year-old unmarried woman with regular menstruation who experienced vaginal bleeding 1 week after her last menstrual cycle. Doppler ultrasound revealed bilateral adnexal masses and elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. The patient was initially misdiagnosed as presenting an ectopic pregnancy. The final pathology confirmed an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IA NGCO with bilateral mature teratoma of the ovary. This is an extraordinary instance of ovarian choriocarcinoma which emerged without any prior gestation, and the patient's lack of a history of pregnancy made the diagnosis ignored. After initial surgery and 1 cycle of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy, a laparoscopic fertility-preserving comprehensive staging surgery was performed. Two cycles of chemotherapy with BEP were administered as supplemental therapy postsurgery, and leuprorelin was administered to protect ovarian function. Menstruation resumed 4 months after chemotherapy completion, and tumor indicators were within the normal range. No signs of recurrence were observed at the 36-month follow-up. NGCO should be considered if a female patient exhibits irregular vaginal bleeding and masses in the adnexal area. The present case and our literature review also highlighted that fertility-sparing surgery and multidrug chemotherapy are effective methods for treating NGCO.

A Case of Placental Implantation with Exaggerated Placental Site

Objective: This study aims to investigate the clinical symptoms, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of exaggerated placental site (EPS), in order to reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of EPS, avoid the occurrence of serious complications such as massive hemorrhage, and provide some references for clinical doctors. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the medical history and treatment of a patient with placental implantation with exaggerated placental site. A 23-year-old female presented with persistent vaginal bleeding after medical abortion. She was diagnosed with retained products of conception and underwent hysteroscopic surgery. The preliminary postoperative pathological results indicate the possibility of EPS and placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT). Further immunohistochemical testing was performed, and the results suggested EPS. Results: The patient recovered well after surgery and did not require further treatment. Her serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels and transvaginal ultrasound findings were normal. Conclusion: EPS is a benign disease, and symptoms will disappear after lesion clearance, requiring no special treatment or follow-up, with a good prognosis. Due to the low incidence rate, atypical clinical symptoms, and insufficient recognition by clinical doctors, EPS are prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, leading to serious consequences such as massive hemorrhage and hysterectomy. EPS should be considered as a possible diagnosis in any woman who has irregular bleeding following medical abortion.

Bifocal germ cell tumor of pineal germinoma and neurohypophyseal embryonal carcinoma: illustrative case.

Bifocal germ cell tumors, with primarily identical tissue composition, occur concurrently in the neurohypophyseal and pineal regions. A 16-year-old male patient exhibited increased intracranial pressure symptoms, with concurrent tumors in the pineal and neurohypophyseal regions, causing obstructive hydrocephalus. His serum human chorionic gonadotropin level was elevated, measuring 506.6 mIU/mL. Upon gross endoscopic examination, the pineal tumor appeared white, whereas the neurohypophyseal tumor appeared red and hemorrhagic. Because of the limited sample size of the latter, a frozen section biopsy was feasible only for the pineal lesion, which indicated the presence of a germinoma. Subsequently, carboplatin and etoposide were administered, resulting in the reduction of the pineal tumor, but no effect was observed in the neurohypophyseal tumor. Histopathological analysis confirmed the pineal lesion as a germinoma, whereas the neurohypophyseal lesion was an embryonal carcinoma. Thus, the treatment was altered to ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (ICE), leading to a response in both tumors. The patient underwent three additional cycles of ICE therapy and high-dose chemotherapy, followed by whole craniospinal irradiation, achieving complete remission. Although most bifocal germ cell tumors share the same histological tissue, occasional differences may arise, necessitating separate biopsies for accurate assessment.

Surgical management of mediastinal mature cystic teratoma of the elderly remaining asymptomatic

BackgroundMediastinal teratoma is an uncommon disease, nevertheless they represent the most common mediastinal germ cell tumors. It may grow silently for several years and remain undiagnosed until the occurrence of a complication.AimThe main aim of this article is to illustrate the silent evolution of an anterior mediastinal teratoma for over 70 years without presenting any notable complications.Case presentationWe present the case of a 70-year-old female, treated for hypertension referred to our department for managing a voluminous mediastinal mass, discovered fortuitously by a general practitioner in a chest X-ray. The anamnesis didn’t relate any chest pain, cough, dyspnea nor hemoptysis. The clinical examination, in particular pleuropulmonary, was unremarkable. The workup (Chest X-Ray and CT scan) demonstrated a voluminous pleural mass at the expense of the right mediastinal pleura, rounded in shape, with calcified wall and fluid content. Blood tests did not demonstrate eosinophilia, and hydatid IgG serology was negative. serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels were found to be normal. The patient subsequently underwent a right posterolateral thoracotomy with resection of the lesion. The mass was dissected very carefully and then resected in toto. The macroscopic and microscopic histological examination demonstrated a mature cystic teratoma. Surgical resection was an adequate treatment and the prognosis was excellent for the patient.ConclusionCystic mature teratomas are rare thoracic tumors, often recognized by radiological examination. This article relates the silent evolution that a teratoma could have, and the late appearance of symptoms that it could have.

Laparoscopic Diagnosed Fallopian Tube Rupture during Expectant with Negative Urine Pregnancy Test

In cases of ectopic pregnancy during expectant management, follow-up is usually performed until the urine pregnancy test is negative. We encountered a case of rupture from a tubal pregnancy during expectant management, despite a negative pregnancy test. We recommend monitoring serum human chorionic gonadotropin level until it falls below the sensitivity.

Establishment and characterization of a non-gestational choriocarcinoma patient-derived xenograft model.

Non-gestational choriocarcinoma (NGC) is a rare subtype of malignant germ cell tumour and there is no consensus on its treatment. The lack of suitable preclinical models for NGC is a challenge in drug discovery research. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models recapitulate the tumour microenvironment of the original cancer tissue. Therefore, they have received considerable attention for studies on rare cancer. Here, we aimed to establish a PDX model from a patient with recurrent NGC. Fresh NGC tumour tissue was immediately transplanted into a severely immune-deficient mouse (NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid1l2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ) and maintained for more than three in vivo passages. Subsequently, we evaluated the molecular characteristics of the PDX model using immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction, and RNA sequencing. Moreover, the PDX tumours were transplanted into BALB/c nude mice, and we evaluated their sensitivity for cisplatin and methotrexate. The PDX tumour maintained the morphological features of NGC. Moreover, Immunohistochemistry revealed that the human chorionic gonadotropin, cytokeratin 7, and EpCAM expression levels were similar to those in the primary tumour. Furthermore, serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels were elevated in both the primary tumour and the PDX models. Additionally, using PCR analysis with species-specific primers, we confirmed that the PDX tumour contained human genes and was derived from human tissue. Moreover, the gene expression profile of the NGC was compared with that of epithelial ovarian cancer samples and cell lines, and 568 dysregulated genes in the NGC were extracted. The expression of the dysregulated genes in PDX was significantly correlated with that in the primary tumour (R2 = 0.873, P < 0.001). Finally, we demonstrated that the PDX tumour was sensitive to cisplatin and methotrexate; therefore, its clinical response to the agents was similar to that of the primary tumour. We successfully established a PDX model of NGC, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time. The established PDX retained the molecular and transcriptome characteristics of the primary tumour and can be used to predict drug effects. It may facilitate further research and the development of novel therapeutic agents for NGC.

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: does centralization of care impact clinical management?

ObjectiveInternational societies advocate for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia referral to designated expert centers. This study assessed the impact of centralization of trophoblastic care on clinical outcomes.MethodsA centralized program was implemented in...

Human chorionic gonadotropin levels after ovulation triggering as predictors of clinical pregnancy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT This study aimed to assess the correlation between human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels after ovulation triggering and clinical pregnancy following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), affected by HCG formulation and dose. The study was a prospective cohort study of 100 women who underwent ICSI and controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) using a fixed gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist protocol. Women were divided according to the type of ovulation triggering into three groups: (1) urinary HCG (uHCG) group (n = 33); (2) recombinant HCG (rHCG) group (n = 33); and (3) dual trigger group (n = 34). The three groups were compared to each other taking into consideration the HCG levels and their correlations to clinical pregnancy following ICSI. Clinical pregnancy could be predicted by serum HCG levels 34 h after ovulation triggering by uHCG, rHCG and dual trigger at cutoff levels of 73.72, 57.35 and 22.37 mIU/ml, respectively, with sensitivities of 95%, 94.7% and 87%, and specificities of 76.9%, 92.9% and 90.9%, respectively. Follicular fluid (FF) HCG levels could predict clinical pregnancy after ovulation triggering by uHCG, rHCG and dual trigger at cutoff levels of 21.58 mIU/ml, 20.82 mIU/ml and 8.66 mIU/ml, respectively, with sensitivities of 95%, 94.7% and 91.3%, and specificities of 92.3%, 92.9% and 90.9%, respectively. In conclusion, serum and FF HCG levels after ovulation triggering could predict clinical pregnancy following ICSI at variable cutoff levels according to HCG formulation and dose.

Bushen Huoxue Fang improves recurrent miscarriage in mice by down-regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway

To investigate the efficacy of Bushen Huoxue Fang (BSHXF, a traditional Chinese medicine formula) for improving recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in mice and the role of tyrosine kinase (JAK2) and transcriptional activator (STAT3) signaling pathway in its therapeutic mechanism. Female CBA/J mice were caged with male DBA/2 mice to establish RSA mouse models, which were randomly divided into model group, dydrogesterone group and BSHXF group, with the female mice caged with male BALB/c mice as the control group (n=6). From the first day of pregnancy, the mice were subjected to daily intragastric administration of BSHXF, dydrogesterone, or distilled water (in control and model groups) for 12 days. After the treatments, serum levels of antithrombin III (AT-III), activated protein C (APC), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), progesterone, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), and estradiol (E2) were detected in each group using ELISA. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the endometrium of the mice. Western blotting was performed to determine the expressions of p-JAK2, p-Stat3 and Bcl-2 in the placenta of the mice. Compared with the control mice, the mouse models of RSA showed a significantly increased embryo loss rate with decreased serum levels of AT-III, T-PA, progesterone, APC and HCG, increased placental expressions of p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and Bax, and decreased expression of Bcl-2 (P < 0.05). Treatments with BSHXF and dydrogesterone both increased serum levels of AT-III, t-PA and HCG in the mouse models; Serum APC level was significantly reduced in BSHXF group and serum progesterone level was significantly increased in dydrogesterone group (P < 0.05). BSHXF can improve the prethrombotic state and inhibit cell apoptosis by downregulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway to increase the pregnancy rate in mouse models of RSA.

Effect of inactivated COVID-19 vaccination on pregnancy outcomes following frozen-thawed embryo transfer: A retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the effect of inactivated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination on frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) outcomes. This retrospective cohort study enrolled 1,210 patients undergoing FET cycles in a single university-affiliated hospital between July 1, 2021, and May 1, 2022. Of them, 387 women with two full doses of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (CoronaVac or BBIBP-CorV) after oocyte retrieval were assigned to the vaccinated group, while 823 were unvaccinated as controls. Propensity score matching and multiple regression analysis were applied to control for baseline and cycle characteristics (19 covariates in total). There were 265 patients in each group after matching. The rates of clinical pregnancy (58.5% vs. 60.8%; P=0.595) and live birth (44.4% vs. 48.8%; P=0.693) were similar between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61-1.29) and 1.31 (95% CI 0.37-4.56), respectively. Consistently, no significant differences were found in serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels as well as biochemical pregnancy, biochemical pregnancy loss, and embryo implantation rates. Based on the time interval from vaccination to FET, vaccinated patients were further subdivided into two categories of ≤2months and >2months, and the outcomes remained comparable. Our study showed that inactivated COVID-19 vaccination in women did not have measurable detrimental impact on implantation performance and live birth outcome during FET treatment cycles. This finding denies the impairment of endometrial receptivity and trophoblast function by vaccine-induced antibodies at the clinical level.

Inhibition of invasion and metastasis in choriocarcinoma by migration and invasion inhibitory protein

IntroductionChoriocarcinoma is a highly invasive gynaecologic malignancy. Molecular mechanism of metastasis in choriocarcinoma is poorly understood. Migration and invasion inhibitory protein (MIIP) regulates cell migration and invasion. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the function of MIIP in choriocarcinoma. MethodsChoriocarcinoma cell lines, JAR and JEG-3, were transfected with lentivirus carrying the MIIP-interfering RNA (to downregulate MIIP expression) or left untransfected (negative control). Cell migration and invasion were studied using transwell migration assays and scratch assays. In vivo tumour burden was studied using tumour xenograft models in specific-pathogen-free nude mice and live imaging. We elucidated possible molecular signalling pathways using western blotting. ResultsIn transwell migration and scratch assays MIIP-downregulated JAR and JEG-3 cells migrated and invaded faster compared to their respective negative control cells. Migration and invasion by the MIIP-upregulated SWAN cells was slower than that by negative control SWAN cells. Live imaging revealed that bioluminescence values were higher in MIIP-downregulated tumours than in the negative control tumours. Mice with MIIP-downregulated tumours had higher serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels than those with negative control tumours. The MIIP expression was negatively correlated with that of histone deacetylase (HDAC6) and positively correlated with that of acetylated α-tubulin. DiscussionThus, MIIP—by inhibiting cellular motility in choriocarcinoma—acts as a tumour suppressor gene. This highlights a potential therapeutic target for refractory choriocarcinoma. Additionally, HDAC6 and acetylated α-tubulin may be involved in the regulatory effects of MIIP on the biobehaviour of choriocarcinoma cells.

Pregnancy of unknown location: external validation of the hCG-based M6NP and M4 prediction models in an emergency gynaecology unit

ObjectiveTo investigate if M6NP predicting ectopic pregnancy (EP) among women with pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) is valid in an emergency gynaecology setting and comparing it with its predecessor M4.DesignRetrospective...

Comparison of high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation and uterine artery embolization in the management of cervical pregnancy.

BackgroundCervical pregnancy (CP) is an uncommon type of ectopic pregnancy with a rising risk to life. Currently, there is no universal protocol for the safe and effective management of CP. This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation (HIFU) vs. uterine artery embolization (UAE) in the management of CP to develop a standard for the treatment of CP.MethodsFrom January 2015 to October 2021, 36 patients with CP were diagnosed, treated, and followed up at the Department of Gynecology of Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. A total of 11 patients were treated with HIFU followed by suction curettage under hysteroscopic guidance, and 25 patients were treated with UAE followed by suction curettage under hysteroscopic guidance. Medical records and pregnancy outcomes were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsCompared to the UAE group, the HIFU group had a shorter interval time (1.5 ± 0.21 days vs. 2.6 ± 0.26 days), shorter duration of hospitalization (5.5 ± 0.31 days vs. 6.6 ± 0.21 days), shorter recovery time of menstruation (30.6 ± 7.09 days vs. 36.9 ± 5.54 days), fewer adverse reactions (0/11 vs. 9/25), and fewer postoperative complications (1/11 vs. 8/25). There were no significant differences in age, gravidity, parity, abortion, gestational age, cardiac pulsation, admission symptoms, hemoglobin level, largest diameter of the sac/mass, serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level at admission, hospitalization expenses, hospitalization days, blood loss during curettage, degree of hCG decline, residue after curettage, fertility requirement, and pregnancy outcomes.ConclusionBoth HIFU and UAE are safe and effective in the treatment of patients with CP. Compared to UAE, HIFU treatment for CP is a safer and more effective therapeutic schedule owing to the advantages of being more minimally invasive, shorter interval time, shorter hospitalization days and recovery time of menstruation, fewer adverse reactions, and fewer postoperative complications.

A Case of Persistent Intrauterine Molar Pregnancy with Final Diagnosis of Heterotopic Molar Pregnancy: A Very Rare Entity

Introduction: Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) includes hydatiform mole, choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumor, and epithelial trophoblastic tumor. Also, molar pregnancy can happen as an ectopic pregnancy. The coincidence of these complicated pregnancies seems to occur extremely rarely. Case presentation: Here, we presented a 26-year-old woman, nulli gravida with the first presentation of intrauterine complete molar pregnancy; she underwent suction curettage but was prompted to Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasm (GTN) and she received chemotherapy. During chemotherapy, she had severe abdominal pain and underwent laparotomy, and found an ectopic molar pregnancy in the fallopian tube. Salpingectomy was done and followed up with serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level and again due to improper decrease of hCG levels, she was diagnosed as a heterotopic post-molar GTN and received methotrexate (MTX) in multiple doses, but she did not respond to MTX, so we started actionomycine-D (Act-D) for her. She was cured after receiving 5 courses of Act-D and now she is on her monthly follow-up with an hCG level. Conclusions: It is important to notice the likelihood of ectopic molar pregnancy or a heterotopic molar pregnancy in the case of managing molar pregnancy, especially when we encounter a case’s poor response to medical or surgical therapy.

Risk factors related to early pregnancy loss in fresh IVF/ICSI: An analysis of 954 embryo transfer cycles.

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is a common complication of assisted reproductive technology treatment; however, the exact factors involved in EPL are not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for EPL in fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. This retrospective cohort study was conducted on all couples who underwent clinical pregnancy in fresh IVF/ICSI cycles from January to December 2019 at a single large reproductive medical center. In total, 954 cycles were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate relevant risk factors for EPL. Curve fitting and threshold analyses were used to explore the association between risk factors and EPL. Compared with women with a normal total antral follicle count (AFC) (≥10, <15), those with a low AFC (<10) had a higher risk of EPL (odds ratio 2.97, 95% confidence interval: 1.38–6.38, P < .05). Patients with an estradiol/progesterone ratio (E2/P) ≥ 1.1 had significantly lower odds of EPL than women with E2/P < 1.1 (odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.28–0.91, P < .05). E2/P and serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels negatively correlated with EPL. By using a 2-piecewise regression model, the inflection point of serum hCG level was 599.9 IU/L. Our results showed that lower AFC, E2/P, and serum hCG levels were associated with a higher EPL risk in fresh IVF/ICSI cycles.

Paclitaxel, ifosfamide, cisplatin (TIP) for the treatment of intermediateand poor-risk nonseminomatous germ cell tumors with an inadequate decrease in tumor markers: a phase II study

Purpose: To evaluate efficacy of TIP (paclitaxel, ifosfamid, cisplatin) in the 1st line treatment of germ cell tumors patients with unfavorable decline of serum tumor markers after 1 cycle of the standard regimen of chemotherapy. Patients and methods: In this phase II multicenter, nonrandomized trial, patients were enrolled from 4 centers of the Russian Federation. Patients were included if they were older than 18 years, had evidence of testicular, retroperitoneal, or mediastinal nonseminoma based on histologic findings or clinical evidence (high serum human chorionic gonadotropin or alpha-fetoprotein levels) that matched International Germ Cell Cancer Consensus Group (IGCCCG) intermediate and poor prognosis criteria. All patients got one cycle of BEP regimen (bleomycin 30 mg on days 1, 3, 5, etoposide 100 mg / m 2 on days 1–5, cisplatin 20 mg / m 2 on days 1–5). Patients with unfavorable serum tumor markers decline after the first cycle of chemotherapy at day 18–21 received four cycles of TIP regimen (paclitaxel 120 mg / m 2 on days 1–2, ifosfamide 1500 mg / m 2 on days 2–5, and cisplatin 25 mg / m 2 om days 2–5, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor 5 mg / kg on days 6–15). In the presence of a residual tumor larger than 1 cm and the technical possibility of its removal, surgical treatment was performed. The primary endpoint was 1-year progression-free survival. Results: Between 2017 and 2021, 28 patients were included in our study: seven patients with an intermediate prognosis according to IGCCCG classification and twenty-one with poor risk. Median follow-up was 15,5 months (range, 4,4–38,3 months). The 1-year progression-free survival and overall survival in intention-to-treat population were 76,6 % and 81,0 %, respectively. One-year progression-free survival and overall survival according IGCCCG classification were 100 % and 100 % for an intermediate risk patients and 68 % and 73,8 % for a poor risk, respectively. The favorable response rate (complete response + partial response with normalization STM) was observed in 19 (68 %) patients. During the follow-up period, disease progression was noted in 9 (32 %) patients, 7 (25 %) patients died, including one from an aggressive growing mature teratoma syndrome. Eleven (39 %) patients underwent surgical treatment: retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (55 %), mediastinal lymph node dissection (36 %), pulmonary resection (9 %). Pathological complete response was achieved in 6 (55 %) patients, mature teratoma — 2 (18 %), viable tumour — 3 (27 %). TIP showed acceptable safety profile and only in one case tumor lysis syndrome was observed. Conclusions: The TIP regimen may improve the results of treatment in the first line with unfavorable decrease of serum tumor markers after the first cycle of chemotherapy, which requires further study in a randomized trial.

Comparison of efficacies between ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin and hysteroscopic electro-resection after methotrexate chemotherapy in the treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy

To compare the efficacies between ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin and hysteroscopic electro-resection after methotrexate chemotherapy in the treatment of caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). 60 patients with CSP admitted to our hospital were selected as the study subjects, and divided into observation group (n = 35) and control group (n = 25) in accordance with the therapeutic options. The observation group was treated with ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin, while the control group was treated with hysteroscopic electro-resection after methotrexate chemotherapy. The observation group was superior to the control group in the amount of intraoperative haemorrhage, in-hospital costs, and postoperative time to control vaginal haemorrhage, time to return to a normal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) level. The observation group had a lower incidence rate of adverse reactions (5.71% vs. 28.00%, p < .05) and a higher first-attempt success rate for treatment (85.71% vs. 84.00%, p > .05) compared with the control group. Ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin, exhibiting a higher efficacy, can more effectively shorten the postoperative recovery, reduce adverse reactions, and improve the postoperative quality of life in patients with CSP. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), a rare form of ectopic pregnancy where the fertilised egg is implanted in the muscle or fibrous tissue of the scar after a previous caesarean section (CS), is a long-term complication of CS that may be life-threatening for parturients. Some therapies have been used to treat CSP, such as uterine artery embolisation and uterine artery embolisation chemotherapy combined with curettage, but the potential adverse effects may affect the ovarian reserve and even affecting the fertility of patients. What do the results of this study add? This study showed that ultrasound-guided curettage combined with hysteroscopic electro-resection after injection of pituitrin, exhibiting a higher efficacy, can more effectively shorten the postoperative recovery, reduce adverse reactions, and improve the postoperative quality of life in patients with CSP. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The findings of this study may provide some references for the clinical practitioners and further research and may contribute to the treatment of CSP.