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This retrospective cross-sectional study investigates determinants on follicular development, oocyte retrieval and pregnancy outcome. It assessed the clinical practicability of monitoring parameters in relation to predict a successful treatment. Analysis of serum-estradiol (E2), sonographic follicle count, number of oocytes and optimizable parameters have therefore been carried out based on patient files from the IVF outpatient clinic at the Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, Homburg/Saar, Germany. Equidirectional connection occurred between serum-E2, sonographic follicle count and number of oocytes (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between sonographic and punctured follicle count (p = 0.428), but between sonographic/punctured follicle count and number of oocytes obtained (p < 0.01). Increasing endometrial thickness was associated with increasing serum-E2 (p = 0.003) and number of oocytes (p < 0.001), but not with the follicle count (p > 0.05). Additionally, age was inversely associated with sonographic follicle count and number of oocytes (p < 0.001) but not with E2 (p > 0.05). BMI, nicotine and stimulation protocol had no association with the observed parameters (p > 0.05). Mean differences in follicle numbers can be used for predicting expectable numbers of oocytes. Due to comparable numbers of follicles visualized on the day of ovulation induction and the number of follicles punctured, more emphasis should be placed in optimizing oocyte retrieval procedures.

Abstract Women undergoing infertility treatment are routinely subjected to one or more tests of ovarian reserve. Therefore, an adequate assessment of the ovarian reserve is necessary for the treatment. In this study, we aimed to characterize the potential role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers for women with different ovarian reserves. A total of 159 women were recruited in the study and classified according to their anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level into three groups: (1) low ovarian reserve (LAMH, n = 39), (2) normal ovarian reserve (NAMH, n = 80), and (3) high ovarian reserve (HAMH, n = 40). SurePrint Human miRNA array screening and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were respectively employed to screen and validate the miRNA abundance level in the three tested groups. Compared with NAMH, the abundance level of 34 and 98 miRNAs was found to be significantly altered in LAMH and HAMH, respectively. The abundance level of miRNAs was further validated by RT-qPCR in both, the screening samples as well as in an independent set of validation samples. The abundance levels of the validated miRNAs were significantly correlated with the AMH level. The best AUC value for the prediction of the increase and decrease in the AMH level was obtained for the miR-100-5p and miR-21-5p, respectively. The level of miRNAs abundance correlates with the level of AMH, which may serve as a tool for identifying women with a different ovarian reserve and may help to lay the ground for the development of novel diagnostic approaches.

Background: The thesis on which this paper is based intended to investigate whether the result of the microbiological vaginal swab has an influence on the outcome of the fertility treatment. Methods: The microbiological vaginal swabs of patients who received fertility treatment at Saarland University Hospital were evaluated. Depending on the microorganisms detected, the swab result was classified as inconspicuous, intermediate, or conspicuous. The SPSS software was used to determine the correlation between the swab result and the outcome of the fertility treatment. Results: Dysbiosis was associated with a worse outcome of fertility treatment. The pregnancy rate with a conspicuous swab was 8.6%, whereas it was 13.4% with an inconspicuous swab. However, this association was not statistically significant. Furthermore, an association of endometriosis with dysbiosis was found. Endometriosis was more frequent with a conspicuous swab result than with an inconspicuous result (21.1% vs. 17.7%), yet the correlation was not statistically significant. However, the absence of lactobacilli was significantly associated with endometriosis (p = 0.021). The association between endometriosis and a lower pregnancy rate was also statistically significant (p = 0.006). Conclusion: The microbiological vaginal and cervical swabs can be used as predictors for the success of fertility treatments. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of transforming a dysbiotic flora into a eubiotic environment on the success of fertility treatments.