Background and objectivesPrimary ovarian insufficiency (POI) affects 1-4% of women and is associated with infertility and reduced life expectancy. Most cases are idiopathic, and a genetic alteration is often the most plausible cause. In this study, we investigated whether targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis in combination with the OvAge© method, which integrates biochemical and ecographic parameters, can reliably identify specific genetic variants underlying the occurrence of non-syndromic primary ovarian insufficiency (nsPOI).MethodsWe enrolled 100 women with nsPOI and 200 healthy controls. A targeted NGS panel covering 72 genes potentially involved in POI was developed using Ampliseq technology (ThermoFisher Scientific). Various bioinformatic tools (Polyphen, Sift, CADD, MutationTaster and the Grantham score) were used to identify potentially pathogenic variants according to ACMG guidelines, while tools such as STRVCTVRE, CADD-SV and X-CNV were used to predict pathogenicity of CNV calls.ResultsUsing this panel, we identified mutations in 60% (N=60) of the patients, of whom 23% carried likely pathogenic or pathogenic mutations, and 37% had variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Among these 60 patients, 37 had monogenetic variants and 23 had mutations in two or more genes. In total, we identified 42 genes affected in our Italian of nsPOI cohort. The most frequently mutated genes in our cohort included DNAH5, LAMC1, ADAMTS1/19, HSD17B4, HK3 and AR. Additionally, we detected CNVs in the SYCE, DUSP22 and INHBB genes. Most of the altered genes in our cohort are involved in DNA repair, meiosis and signal transduction. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the mutated genes play a key role in oocyte differentiation, folliculogenesis and follicular maturation.DiscussionOur main conclusion is that the development of a test integrating clinical, ultrasound, biochemical (OvAge©) and genetic data could substantially enhance early identification of women at risk of POI and offer opportunities for fertility preservation, such as oocyte cryopreservation or prioritizing reproductive efforts.

Leukemias derived from the MLL-AF9 rearrangement rely on dysfunctional transcriptional networks. ZNF521, a transcription co-factor implicated in the control of hematopoiesis, has been proposed to sustain leukemic transformation in collaboration with other oncogenes. Here, we demonstrate that ZNF521 mRNA levels correlate with specific genetic aberrations: in particular, the highest expression is observed in AMLs bearing MLL rearrangements, while the lowest is detected in AMLs with FLT3-ITD, NPM1, or CEBPα double mutations. In cord blood-derived CD34+ cells, enforced expression of ZNF521 provides a significant proliferative advantage and enhances MLL-AF9 effects on the induction of proliferation and the expansion of leukemic progenitor cells. Transcriptome analysis of primary CD34+ cultures displayed subsets of genes up-regulated by MLL-AF9 or ZNF521 single transgene overexpression as well as in MLL-AF9/ZNF521 combinations, at either the early or late time points of an in vitro leukemogenesis model. The silencing of ZNF521 in the MLL-AF9 + THP-1 cell line coherently results in an impairment of growth and clonogenicity, recapitulating the effects observed in primary cells. Taken together, these results underscore a role for ZNF521 in sustaining the self-renewal of the immature AML compartment, most likely through the perturbation of the gene expression landscape, which ultimately favors the expansion of MLL-AF9-transformed leukemic clones.

OBJECTIVE(S):to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infertile couples' emotions, anxiety and future plans.STUDY DESIGN:An observational study was perfomed by Italian ART centers and online forums. In this study, infertile couples candidate to ART and whose treatment was blocked due to the COVID-19 lockdown were enrolled through an online survey. The psychological impact of COVID-19 was measured by Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and by a short form of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); Self-perceived anxiety related either to pregnancy safety and to economic crisis measured by VAS scale.RESULTS:627 patients completed the survey. The COVID-19 lock-down had a moderate/severe psychological impact on infertile patients (mean IES-R score 36.4 ± 16.6). The mean STAI score was 49.8 ± 15.3, with an overall incidence of STAI > 36 of 71 %. The mean VAS scale for anxiety perception was 45.3 ± 15.3. Women were more emotionally distressed, anxious and depressed than men (36.8 ± 16.4 vs 31.0 ± 18.4 for IES-R, respectively; p = 0.03). Notwithstanding the uncertainty about pregnancy safety, 64.6 % of respondents chose to maintain their reproductive programme. Economic crisis induced 11.5 % of the surveyed patients to give up their ART program. Respondents who had at least one relative affected by COVID-19 had a significantly higher IES-R score and anxiety VAS, but not higher STAI scores, than patients belonging to unaffected families.CONCLUSION(S):COVID-19 pandemic itself and the recommendation to stop ART program generated higher distress levels in infertile couples. The psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in infertility patients should not be underestimated, and a specific psychological support should be planned.

A leukemic in vitro model produced by transducing Cord Blood derived-hematopoietic CD34(+) cells with the MLL-AF9 translocation resulting in the oncogenic fusion protein, is used to assess for sensitivity to Zoledronic acid. These cells are practically immortalized and are of myeloid origin. Proliferation, clonogenic and stromal co-culture assays showed that the MLL-AF9 cells were considerably more sensitive to Zoledronic acid than normal hematopoietic CD34(+) cells or MS-5 stromal cells. The MLL-AF9 cells were notably more inhibited by Zoledronic acid when cultured as colonies in 3 dimensions, requiring cell-cell contacts compared to suspension expansion cultures. This is coherent with the mechanism of action of Zoledronic acid inhibiting farnesyl diphosphate synthase which results in a block in prenylation of GTPases such that their role in the membrane is compromised for cell-cell contacts. Zoledronic acid can be proposed to target the MLL-AF9 leukemic stem cells before they emerge from the hematopoietic niche, which being in proximity to bone osteoclasts where Zoledronic acid is sequestered can be predicted to result in sufficient levels to result in an anti-leukemic action.

At present, infertility is a key-issue. When applicable, in vitro fertilization (IVF) has become the standard approach to treat this condition but a thorough investigation and, whenever possible, the individual diagnosis of the underlying causes of infertility are required. For many female causes, indeed, efficient medical therapies are available to achieve a fast solution of the problem. This review is based on the relevant literature indexed in PubMed and SCOPUS and is focused on the most recent clinical literature on the treatment of women (and couples) affected from infertility. The reduction in IVF treatment burden and risks are now considered pivotal to set 'patient-friendly' therapies and represent crucial issues for both patients and physicians. To this end, the researchers are now focusing their attention on old drugs with new indications and new compounds with more appropriate functions, to improve the compliance of the women and reduce the burden of infertility, a condition that is becoming an important issue in the modern world, also for the Public Health System.

STUDY OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of 3 cycles of subcutaneous progesterone administered during the luteal phase on the regression rate of symptomatic and asymptomatic endometrial polyps in premenopausal woman.DESIGN:A retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).SETTING:A department of obstetrics and gynecology in a university hospital.PATIENTS:One hundred twenty-seven reproductive-aged women presented with endometrial polyps from January to December 2016.INTERVENTIONS:A retrospective comparison of patients treated with subcutaneous progesterone and those managed by the "wait and see" approach.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Patients were divided into 2 groups: the group treated with subcutaneous progesterone (cases) and the wait and see group (controls). Women in the treatment group were administered 25 mg subcutaneous progesterone during the luteal phase for 7 days for 3 months. The wait and see group included patients refusing progesterone therapy who were reevaluated 3 menstrual cycles after the transvaginal sonographic diagnosis. Both the treatment group (n = 61) and the wait and see group (n = 32) were evaluated with a follow-up ultrasound examination after 3 months. The regression rate of endometrial polyps in women treated with subcutaneous progesterone was compared with the wait and see patients. The regression in the number and/or dimensions of the polyps was greater in the treatment group than the control group. The regression rate was 47.5% and 12.5%, respectively (p < .001).CONCLUSION:Progesterone appears to be a valid therapeutic alternative for the management of endometrial polyps. A prospective, randomized study is ongoing at our institution to further validate these findings.

Several causes for primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) have been described, including iatrogenic and environmental factor, viral infections, chronic disease as well as genetic alterations. The aim of this review was to collect all the genetic mutations associated with non-syndromic POI. All studies, including gene screening, genome-wide study and assessing genetic mutations associated with POI, were included and analyzed in this systematic review. Syndromic POI and chromosomal abnormalities were not evaluated. Single gene perturbations, including genes on the X chromosome (such as BMP15, PGRMC1 and FMR1) and genes on autosomal chromosomes (such as GDF9, FIGLA, NOBOX, ESR1, FSHR and NANOS3) have a positive correlation with non-syndromic POI. Future strategies include linkage analysis of families with multiple affected members, array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) for analysis of copy number variations, next generation sequencing technology and genome-wide data analysis. This review showed variability of the genetic factors associated with POI. These findings may help future genetic screening studies on large cohort of women.

The growing use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and the incorrect information from mass media, determined in the public the wrong idea that the right moment of life for programming a pregnancy can be delayed well beyond the physiological fertile age. Spare and insufficient health authorities' interventions are driven to explain to the general population the reduction of the fertility potential of couples and particularly of women with advancing age. This situation, characterized by more and more women seeking for pregnancy after age 38-40 imposes to specialists in Reproductive Medicine an honest and transparent counselling. Today, more than ever, it is pertinent to talk about the need of an "ethic approach" to ART, by which the specialist takes care of all the aspects inherent to infertility, such as the strong motivations of the couples in searching a child, the wrong perception of ART infallibility, the incorrect advertising in the mass media about the pregnancy of elderly actresses and show-girls, and finally, the enormous amount of commercial interests revolving around the "business" of in-vitro fertilization. In this context, the ideal policy that an ART center should adopt entails the correct and rapid identification of the characteristics of the couple, the exploitation of women ovarian reserve to obtain the right number of high quality oocytes, the protection of patients' health, the identification of the embryos with the highest chances of implantation and the reduction of the time to pregnancy. Here we analyse how to obtain each of these goals, through a literature review and expert clinical opinion.

STUDY OBJECTIVE:Preliminary data on the effects of prophylactic bilateral salpingectomy (PBS) show that postoperative ovarian function is preserved up to 3 months after surgery. The confirmation of PBS safety on ovarian function even many years after surgery is essential to reassure the medical community that this new strategy, recently proposed for the prevention of ovarian cancer, is at least able to avoid the risk of premature surgical menopause. We investigated whether the addition of PBS during total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) causes long-term effects on ovarian function.DESIGN:An observational study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).SETTING:Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, "Magna Graecia" University, Catanzaro, Italy.PATIENTS:Seventy-nine patients who underwent TLH plus salpingectomy between September 2010 and September 2012 at our institution have been recalled to be submitted to ovarian reserve evaluation in February 2015. Eight of 79 women refused to participate in this follow-up study.INTERVENTIONS:The ovarian age of PBS patients has been determined through OvAge (OvAge sr., Catanzaro, Italy), a statistical model that combines antimüllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, 3-dimensional antral follicle count, vascular index, flow index, and vascular flow index values. The control group consisted of a large population of 652 healthy women (with intact uterus and adnexa) previously enrolled to build the OvAge model. Comparisons between ovarian ages of PBS patients and the control group have been assessed by analysis of covariance linear statistical modeling.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:The main outcome measurement was the differences in the behavior within OvAge/age relation between PBS and control women. Descriptive statistics of those 71 enrolled PBS patients are the following: age, 49.61 ± 2.15 years; OvAge, 49.22 ± 2.57 years; follicle-stimulating hormone, 43.02 ± 19.92 mU/mL; antimüllerian hormone, 0.12 ± 0.20 ng/mL; 3-dimensional antral follicle count, 1.91 ± 1.28; vascular index, 2.80% ± 5.32%; flow index, 19.37 ± 5.88; and vascular flow index, 0.56 ± 1.12. Analysis of covariance disclosed that PBS and control women do not exhibit different behaviors (p = .900) within OvAge/age relation.CONCLUSION:According to our model, the addition of PBS to TLH in the late reproductive years does not modify the ovarian age of treated women up to 3 to 5 years after surgery.

Objective. Substances such as inositol and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) have been recently shown to be effective in treatment of PCOS patients. The aim of this prospective trial is to evaluate the efficacy of NAC + Inositol + folic acid on ovulation rate and menstrual regularity in PCOS patients with and without insulin resistance. Methods. Among the 91 PCOS patients treated with NAC + Inositol + folic, insulin resistance was present in 44 subjects (A) and absent in 47 (B). The primary endpoint was the ovulation rate/year, determined by menstrual diary, serum progesterone performed between 21° and 24° days, ultrasound findings of growth follicular or luteal cysts, and luteal ratio. HOMA-index assessment after 6 and 12 months of treatment was evaluated as secondary endpoint. Results. In both groups there was a significant increase in ovulation rate and no significant differences were found in the primary outcome between two groups. In group A, a significant reduction of HOMA-index was observed. Conclusions. The association NAC + Inositol + folic, regardless of insulin-resistance state, seems to improve ovarian function in PCOS patients. Therefore, inositol and NAC may have additional noninsulin-related mechanisms of action that allow achieving benefits also in those patients with negative HOMA-index.

Objective: To evaluate whether manualin-bag morcellation could be efficiently proposed as alternative to the uncontained power technique.Design: Randomized controlled trial.Setting: Academic hospital.Patient(s): One hundred fifty-two premenopausal women eligible for myomectomy were screened, and 104 were randomized.Intervention(s): Patients were randomized into two groups. In the experimental group, "in-bag'' protected morcellation was performed. In the control group, patients were treated by uncontained power myoma removal.Main Outcome Measure(s): The primary endpoint was the comparison of morcellation operative time (MOT). The secondary endpoints were the comparisons of total operative time (TOT), simplicity of morcellation (as defined by the surgeon using a visual analogue scale scale), intraoperative blood loss, rate of complications, and postoperative outcomes.Result(s): A sample size of 51 per group (n = 102) was planned. Between March 2014 and January 2015, patients were randomized as follows: 53 to the experimental group and 51 to the control group. Most demographic characteristics were similar across groups. MOT was observed to be similar in both study groups (16.18 +/- 8.1 vs. 14.35 +/- 7.8 minutes, in the experimental and control groups, respectively). Fibroid size was identified as the principal factor influencing morcellation time (Pearson coefficient 0.484 vs. 0.581, in the experimental and control groups, respectively). No significant difference in TOT, simplicity of morcellation, delta Hb, postoperative pain, and postoperative outcomes were observed between groups.Conclusion(s): The protected manual in-bag morcellation technique represents a time-efficient and feasible alternative, which does not interfere with surgical outcomes in women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy. (c) 2016 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)

In the last decade, both endocrine and ultrasound data have been tested to verify their usefulness for assessing ovarian reserve, but the ideal marker does not yet exist. The purpose of this study was to find, if any, a statistical advanced model able to identify a simple, easy to understand and intuitive modality for defining ovarian age by combining clinical, biochemical and 3D-ultrasonographic data.

Objective: To study the effects of the wide excision of soft tissues adjacent to the ovary and fallopian tube on ovarian function and surgical outcomes in women undergoing laparoscopic bilateral prophylactic salpingectomy.Design: Randomized, controlled trial.Setting: Teaching hospital.Patient(s): One hundred eighty-six women undergoing laparoscopic surgery for uterine myoma (n = 143) or tubal surgical sterilization (n = 43).Intervention(s): Patients were randomly divided into two groups. In group A (n = 91), standard salpingectomy was performed. In group B (n = 95), the mesosalpinx was removed within the tubes. Prior to and 3 months after surgery, antimullerian hormone (AMH), FSH, three-dimensional antral follicle count (AFC), vascular index (VI), flow index (FI), vascular-flow index (VFI), and OvAge were recorded for each patient.Main Outcome Measure(s): Ovarian reserve modification (Delta) before and after surgery was assessed as the primary outcome. Operative time, variation of the hemoglobin level (Delta Hb), postoperative hospital stay, postoperative return to normal activity, and complication rate were assessed as secondary outcomes. Result(s): No significant difference was observed between groups for Delta AMH, Delta FSH, Delta AFC, Delta VI, Delta FI, Delta VFI, and Delta OvAge. Moreover, the groups were similar for operative time, Delta Hb, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative return to normal activity, and complication rate.Conclusion(s): Even when the surgical excision includes the removal of the mesosalpinx, salpingectomy does not damage the ovarian reserve. Moreover, wide salpingectomy with excision of the mesosalpinx did not alter blood loss, hospitalization stay, or return to normal activities. (C) 2015 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

In 2011, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada encouraged physicians to discuss with their patients the risks and benefits of prophylactic bilateral salpingectomy (PBS) at the time of hysterectomy or tubal ligation for prevention of ovarian cancers (OCs). The aim of this study was to examine obstetrician–gynaecologists’ knowledge, opinions and practice patterns relating to opportunistic salpingectomy in the general population. An anonymous electronic survey was sent to residents, academic and hospital staff in Italian OBGYN departments. The survey included questions on demographics, knowledge and attitudes in terms of the implementation of PBS in women at average population risk of OC. At least 80% of the 479 respondents reported performing PBS during hysterectomy for benign indications, chiefly with the intent of OC risk reduction but also to decrease the risk of reoperation and subsequent tubal pathologies. Among the 86 colleagues who do not routinely perform PBS, more than 50% stated that they have doubts regarding the benefits associated with the procedure. Most of the respondents declared that they were familiar with the literature on the topic and were aware of the data reporting the safety of the procedure, and only 21 (4.53%) had never heard of PBS. Over 40% of the respondents worked in hospitals in southern Italy. PBS as a prophylactic measure to reduce the incidence of OC is a well-known strategy among the Italian OBGYNs interviewed. Given the unequal distribution of respondents, however, wider educational initiatives should be undertaken, at least in Italy, to increase the implementation of salpingectomy among OBGYNs.

Background The study aim was to assess the reliability in the diagnosis of superficial endometriosis of the combined evaluation of 2 parameters: modifications of serum CA125 and VAS pain score following 1 dose of GnRH analog (GnRH-a). Methods Women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) were managed by GnRH-a administration and diagnostic laparoscopy. Serum CA125 and VAS pain score were assessed for each patient at the early follicular phase and 2 months after the administration of 11.25 mg GnRH-a. Following laparoscopy, subjects were grouped into groups A (72 women with endometriosis) and B (46 women without endometriosis). A multivariate model for CA125 and VAS reduction and for the combination of the 2 markers was calculated using logistic regression and diagnostic performance was evaluated as the AUC of ROC curve. Main outcome measure was the accuracy of the modifications of serum CA125 levels and VAS score following GnRH-a, in patients with histological diagnosis of superficial endometriosis. Results At baseline, both groups showed similar CA125 levels and VAS scores. Two months after GnRH-a, a significant reduction (delta [Δ]) in CA125 levels and VAS pain score was observed in group A only. AUCs for ΔCA125, ΔVAS score and for combination of these 2 deltas were 0.90, 0.83 and 0.97, respectively. Conclusions The assessment of serum CA125 and VAS pain score following GnRH-a demonstrates good reliability to exclude superficial endometriosis in patients with CPP. The response to GnRH-a administration in these women could therefore be employed as an ex juvantibus criterion for endometriosis diagnosis.

We read with great interest the recent guest editorial by Dr John Thiel1 and the response from the representatives of OvCare group2 regarding risk-reducing salpingectomy for the prevention of ovarian cancer. We found the conversation very interesting, and we are pleased to add an important piece in this issue.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to compare ovarian function and surgical outcomes between patients affected by benign uterine pathologies submitted to total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) plus salpingectomy and women in which standard TLH with adnexal preservation was performed.MethodsWe retrospectively compared data of 79 patients who underwent TLH plus bilateral salpingectomy (group A), with those of 79 women treated by standard TLH without adnexectomy (sTLH) (group B). Ovarian reserve modification, expressed as the difference between 3 months post-operative and pre-operative values of Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Antral Follicle Count (AFC), mean ovarian diameters and Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), was recorded for each patient. For each surgical procedure, operative time, variation of hemoglobin level (ΔHb), postoperative hospital stay, postoperative return to normal activity, and complication rate were recorded as secondary outcomes.ResultsAccording to our post-hoc analysis, this equivalence study resulted to have a statistical power of 96.8%. Significant difference was not observed between groups with respect to ΔAMH (p = 0.35), ΔFSH (p = 0.15), ΔAFC (p = 0.09), Δ mean ovarian diameters (p = 0.57) and ΔPSV (p = 0.61). In addition, secondary outcomes such as operative time (p = 0.79), ΔHb (p = 0.41), postoperative hospital stay (p = 0.16), postoperative return to normal activity (p = 0.11) and complication rate also did not show any significant difference.ConclusionsThe addition of bilateral salpingectomy to TLH for prevention of ovarian cancer in women who do not carry a BRCA1/2 mutations do not show negative effects on the ovarian function. In addition, no perioperative complications are related to the salpingectomy step in TLH.

Objective: To evaluate safety and efficacy, in terms of spillage risk and ovarian tissue preservation, of mesial incision for laparoscopic dermoid cystectomy.Design: Randomized controlled trial.Setting: University.Patient(s): Sixty-seven women with dermoid cysts.Intervention(s): Laparoscopic dermoid cystectomy performed by mesial incision (33 patients, study group) or antimesial incision (34 patients, control group).Main Outcome Measure(s): Spillage of intracystic content rate, operative times, chemical peritonitis rate, and intraoperative blood loss (Delta Hb) as primary outcomes. Postoperative ovarian reserve (Delta FSH levels, basal antral follicle number, mean ovarian diameter, and peak systolic velocity at 3 and 12 months after surgery) as secondary outcome.Result(s): Spillage of intracystic content rate and operative time were significantly lower in the study than in the control group. None developed chemical peritonitis. Delta Hb was higher in the study group but not significantly. During the follow-up, median FSH values were significantly lower in the study group, with no differences in the E-2 levels. Moreover, median basal antral follicle number, median ovarian diameter, and median peak systolic velocity were significantly higher in the study group.Conclusion(s): Ovarian mesial-side incision appears to be a safe as well as tissue-sparing technique.Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT01590030. (Fertil Steril (R) 2012;98:1336-40. (C) 2012 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)