International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine
Volume:21 Issue: 10, Oct 2023

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in females. Nesfatin-1 is a neuropeptide synthesized in the hypothalamus and other peripheral organs, and there are conflicting opinions about its correlation with PCOS.

This study aims to investigate the correlation between nesfatin-1 and PCOS and evaluates the effectiveness of nesfatin-1 as a biomarker for the detection of PCOS in women.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to identify pertinent articles from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random effects model to compare group outcomes. Additionally, meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed to elucidate sources of heterogeneity.

The meta-analysis involved 12 studies with 1222 participants, and the findings revealed a significant relationship between PCOS and nesfatin-1 levels. The pooled (SMD = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.00-1.07; p = 0.04) indicated a significant difference between the evaluated groups. Moreover, a subgroup analysis showed that there was a substantial difference in nesfatin-1 levels among women with PCOS and higher homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance ratio (SMD = 1.46; 95% CI: 0.92-2.00; p < 0.001).

Our meta-analysis indicates an association between high nesfatin-1 levels and PCOS. This suggests a potential role of nesfatin-1 in the development of PCOS and proposes it as a potential diagnostic biomarker for the disease. However, further research is necessary to validate these findings.

Doppler imaging is a non-invasive method in evaluating fetal circulation. Renal artery doppler (RAD) has been used for assessing fetal well-being in several studies. The aim of this narrative review was to accumulate and classify current evidence on RAD in fetal sonography. Articles until November 2022 were searched. After removing ineligible articles, 51 studies were included. Present articles were about RAD assessment in cases with amniotic fluid level changes, fetal growth restriction, fetal renal diseases, monochorionic twin pregnancies, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus. The complex physiology of fetal kidney function may explain different results observed in different studies about the role of RAD in fetal assessment. It seems this factor can be useful in assessing some groups like diabetic pregnant women, and it should be used accompanying other related factors like kidney size. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of RAD in clinical management.

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is defined as embryo implantation in a location other than the uterine cavity.

We aimed to evaluate the expression of several genes, which may play a role in EP, in the ampulla region of fallopian tubes and endometrial tissue of women with EP.

In this case-control study, 5 women who underwent salpingectomy due to EP, comprised the 5 pseudo-pregnant women as a control group. These participants referred to the Royan Institute, and Shariati, and Arash hospital, Tehran, Iran during 2019-2021. We evaluated the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor A, mucin-1, colony-stimulating factor-1, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HBEGF), and fibroblast growth factor 2 genes in the fallopian tube and endometrium of EP cases by real-time polymerase chain reaction using specific primers.

The vascular endothelial growth factor expression was significantly higher in the ampulla region of the controls. However, no significant differences were observed in endometrial tissue. Assessments of colony-stimulating factor-1 and fibroblast growth factor 2 showed no significant differences between the case and control groups. HBEGF showed significantly higher expression in the ampulla region of EP cases, but no significant difference was observed in HBEGF expression in the endometrial tissues of the study groups. Mucin-1 expression was significantly higher in both study regions of the EP cases.

Our results have strongly suggested that these genes play important roles in proper implantation, and disruptions in their expression patterns could lead to EP. However, more studies are needed to confirm the current findings.

The uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the cervix leads to cervical cancer (CC), the fourth most common gynecologic cancer. So far, many studies have been conducted on CC; however, it is still necessary to discover the hub gene, key pathways, and the exact underlying mechanisms involved in developing this disease.

This study aims to use gene expression patterns and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis to identify key pathways and druggable hub genes in CC.

In this in silico analysis, 2 microarray gene expression datasets; GSE63514 (104 cancer and 24 normal samples), and GSE9750 (42 cancer and 24 normal samples) were extracted from gene expression omnibus to identify common differentially expressed genes between them. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis were performed via the Enrichr database. STRING 12.0 database and CytoHubba plugin in Cytoscape 3.9.1 software were implemented to create and analyze the PPI network. Finally, druggable hub genes were screened.

Based on the degree method, 10 key genes were known as the hub genes after the screening of PPI networks by the CytoHubba plugin. NCAPG, KIF11, TTK, PBK, MELK, ASPM, TPX2, BUB1, TOP2A, and KIF2C are the key genes, of which 5 genes (KIF11, TTK, PBK, MELK, and TOP2A) were druggable.

This research provides a novel vision for designing therapeutic targets in patients with CC. However, these findings should be verified through additional experiments.

The effect of modern infertility treatment modalities on fetal thymic volume has not been well known.

3-dimensional (3D) fetal thymus volumes of 18-24 wk in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies and spontaneous pregnancy cases were compared.

135 cases were evaluated in this prospective case-control study. The study was conducted between July 2019 and July 2020 at a university hospital in Trabzon, Turkey. Fetal thymus volume was calculated in the pregnant cases included in the study with the help of the virtual organ computer-assisted analysis system included in the advanced ultrasonography system. The fetal thymus volumes were compared between pregnant women with IVF and spontaneous pregnant women.

The fetal thymus size was significantly lower in the IVF pregnancy group than in spontaneous pregnancy cases (p < 0.001). It was found that the fetal complications, such as non-reassuring fetal health status and requirement for neonatal intensive care, were higher in cases who became pregnant after IVF treatment. It was also found that the rate of any pregnancy complication was significantly higher in IVF pregnancy group (p = 0.02).

In light of these results, it may be concluded that small fetal thymus size may be another fetal complication of IVF pregnancies.

 Infertility is one of the critical health issues in Iran. There are more than 70 specialized infertility treatment centers in Iran, of which the Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, is one of the most important ones.

 This study aimed to determine the factors influencing infertile couples' choice of Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute.

 This cross-sectional study was conducted on 275 infertile couples aged 18 and older, referring to Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute, Yazd, Iran from September 2021 to March 2022. Data were gathered using a 2-part questionnaire. Data analysis was done through SPSS software. We used descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and t test for data analysis.

 Most participants were individuals who came from other provinces of Iran (74.9%) and were referred to the Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute. Among the 4 categories that influenced couples' decision to choose this center, factors related to the personnel and treatment staff received the highest score (75.83), while personal factors received the lowest score (65.76). The average score for factors related to doctors was 72.90, and for factors related to the center, it was 73.65. The satisfaction with personnel and treatment staff varied based on participants' education levels, with those who had lower levels of education reporting higher levels of satisfaction (p < 0.001).

 The primary factors contributing to the success of the Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute in attracting clients were the dedication and expertise of the staff, as well as the esteemed reputation of the doctors at the center.

 Infertility affects couples worldwide, with male factors being responsible for half of all cases.

 This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in plasma and semen with the quality of semen in infertile males.

 In this cross-sectional study, 88 infertile men referring to Besat hospital, Tehran, Iran from December 2021-November 2022 were enrolled. A detailed questionnaire requesting information, and a 168-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire, were completed by participants. A food frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the DII. Additionally, semen and blood samples were collected from each participant for semen analysis and CRP-level assessment. Statistical analyses were performed to explore the association between DII and CRP levels with sperm quality. The correlation between DII and serum/semen CRP, besides assessing nutrients in each DII quartile group, was also explored.

 A significant difference was observed between different DII quartiles considering sperm motility (p = 0.006) and morphology (p = 0.014). Post hoc study revealed a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd quartiles and the 1st and 4th quartiles of DII regarding sperm motility (p = 0.011, and 0.017 respectively) and a significant difference between the 1st and 2nd quartiles of DII considering sperm morphology (p = 0.009). A statistically significant inverse correlation was also observed between DII and sperm motility (p = 0.017). Carbohydrates and β-carotenes were significantly different between the 4 DII quartiles (p = 0.043 and p = 0.026, respectively). Finally, no significant correlation was observed between DII and CRP levels in blood and semen (p > 0.05).

 The findings suggested a notable correlation between DII and semen quality; however, no significant association were observed between DII and CRP levels in blood and semen.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) protein is one of the factors associated with oxidative stress and dyslipidemia disorders.

This study aimed to evaluate the lipid profile, PCSK9 levels, and oxidative stress in preeclampsia.

This case-control study was conducted at Sina hospital in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran from August 2020-May 2021. The average maternal age of included participants was 30 yr with 30 preeclampsia and 30 healthy pregnant women. After clinical examination, the fasting blood samples were collected, and the serum PCSK9 protein concentration, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities, and glutathione levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and malondialdehyde levels were determined manually.

The average maternal age of participants were 29.97 ± 4.75 and 31.23 ± 5.85 yr, respectively. The concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), PCSK9, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde levels were higher in the preeclampsia group compared with control (p < 0.02). Total oxidant status, glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities were lower in the cases group compared with the control group (p < 0.01). The PCSK9 variable had a significant negative association with antioxidant parameters; however, a significant positive association was observed between PCSK9 level and parameters of LDL-C.

PCSK9 is associated with increased serum levels of LDL-C and oxidative factors in pregnant women that increase the risk of endothelial damage and hypertension in preeclampsia.