C De Roo, F Schneider, T H R Stolk, W L J van Vugt, D Stoop, N M van Mello
BACKGROUND Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people seek gender-affirming care at any age to manage gender identities or expressions that differ from their birth gender. Gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) and gender-affirming surgery may alter reproductive function and/or anatomy, limiting future reproductive options to varying degrees, if individuals desire to either give birth or become a biological parent. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE TGD people increasingly pursue help for their reproductive questions, including fertility, fertility preservation, active desire for children, and future options. Their specific needs certainly require more insight into the effects of GAHT on gonads, gametes, and fertility. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the impact of GAHT on gonads, gametes, fertility, fertility preservation techniques, and outcomes. SEARCH METHODS This review was registered in the PROSPERO registry under number CRD42024516133. A literature search (in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) was performed with a medical information specialist until 15 November 2024. OUTCOMES In all TGD people using GAHT, histological changes have been reported. Using testosterone GAHT, ovarian cortical and stromal changes were reported by various studies. In most studies, persistent activity in folliculogenesis can be concluded based on the descriptions of the follicle count, distribution, and oocyte retrieval yield. However, there may be a negative effect on the fertilization rate in the presence of testosterone. Reports of successful ovarian stimulation, fertilization, pregnancies, and live births have been published, describing cases with and without testosterone discontinuation. After using oestrogen GAHT, testes are reported to be more atrophic, including smaller seminiferous tubules with heavy hyalinization and fibrosis. Spermatogenic levels varied widely from complete spermatogenesis to meiotic arrest with spermatids, to spermatogonial arrest, Sertoli cells only, or even tubular shadows. Oestrogen and anti-androgen treatment causes higher proportions of sperm abnormalities (i.e. low total sperm count, low sperm concentration, poor sperm motility) or azoospermia. However, after cessation, this may be restored. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Although knowledge of the effect of GAHT is growing, blind spots remain to be uncovered. Therefore, additional research in this specific population is needed, preferably comparing outcomes before and after the start of GAHT. This may help to reveal the pure impact of GAHT on reproductive functioning. Research suggestions also include investigations into the reversibility of the GAHT effect, especially for those who start transition at a young age. Looking carefully at the presented data on GAHT effects on gonads and gametes, the correct advice is to assess and reassess reproductive wishes and preferences repeatedly, and also to explore individual fertility preservation needs during ge
{"title":"Fertility in transgender and gender diverse people: systematic review of the effects of gender-affirming hormones on reproductive organs and fertility","authors":"C De Roo, F Schneider, T H R Stolk, W L J van Vugt, D Stoop, N M van Mello","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae036","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people seek gender-affirming care at any age to manage gender identities or expressions that differ from their birth gender. Gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) and gender-affirming surgery may alter reproductive function and/or anatomy, limiting future reproductive options to varying degrees, if individuals desire to either give birth or become a biological parent. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE TGD people increasingly pursue help for their reproductive questions, including fertility, fertility preservation, active desire for children, and future options. Their specific needs certainly require more insight into the effects of GAHT on gonads, gametes, and fertility. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge on the impact of GAHT on gonads, gametes, fertility, fertility preservation techniques, and outcomes. SEARCH METHODS This review was registered in the PROSPERO registry under number CRD42024516133. A literature search (in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) was performed with a medical information specialist until 15 November 2024. OUTCOMES In all TGD people using GAHT, histological changes have been reported. Using testosterone GAHT, ovarian cortical and stromal changes were reported by various studies. In most studies, persistent activity in folliculogenesis can be concluded based on the descriptions of the follicle count, distribution, and oocyte retrieval yield. However, there may be a negative effect on the fertilization rate in the presence of testosterone. Reports of successful ovarian stimulation, fertilization, pregnancies, and live births have been published, describing cases with and without testosterone discontinuation. After using oestrogen GAHT, testes are reported to be more atrophic, including smaller seminiferous tubules with heavy hyalinization and fibrosis. Spermatogenic levels varied widely from complete spermatogenesis to meiotic arrest with spermatids, to spermatogonial arrest, Sertoli cells only, or even tubular shadows. Oestrogen and anti-androgen treatment causes higher proportions of sperm abnormalities (i.e. low total sperm count, low sperm concentration, poor sperm motility) or azoospermia. However, after cessation, this may be restored. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Although knowledge of the effect of GAHT is growing, blind spots remain to be uncovered. Therefore, additional research in this specific population is needed, preferably comparing outcomes before and after the start of GAHT. This may help to reveal the pure impact of GAHT on reproductive functioning. Research suggestions also include investigations into the reversibility of the GAHT effect, especially for those who start transition at a young age. Looking carefully at the presented data on GAHT effects on gonads and gametes, the correct advice is to assess and reassess reproductive wishes and preferences repeatedly, and also to explore individual fertility preservation needs during ge","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143031090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Celebrating 30 years at Human Reproduction Update.","authors":"Arne S Sunde, Madelon van Wely","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae035","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":"31 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":14.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142924088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Johannes Ott, Geoffroy Robin, Marlene Hager, Didier Dewailly
<p><strong>Background: </strong>Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) is responsible for 20-35% of all cases of secondary amenorrhoea and, thus, is the second most common cause of secondary amenorrhoea after polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A high number of patients with FHA reveal polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) on ultrasound. The combination of amenorrhoea and PCOM can lead to confusion. First, amenorrhoeic women with PCOM fulfil the revised Rotterdam criteria and, thus, can easily be misdiagnosed with PCOS. Moreover, it has been claimed that some women with FHA and concomitant PCOM differ from those without PCOM in terms of endocrine regulation and metabolic traits.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>The main focus of this article was on studies about FHA, which differentiated between patients with or without PCOM. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of PCOM and to look if it has an impact on pathophysiologic, diagnostic and therapeutic issues as well as on long-term consequences.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>Peer review original and review articles were selected from PubMed searches for this review. Searches were performed using the search terms 'polycystic AND functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea'. The reference lists of publications found were searched for relevant additional studies. The inclusion criteria for publications were: English language, patients' age ≥ 18 years, year of publication >1980, original studies, validated diagnosis of FHA, and validated diagnosis of PCOM using transvaginal ultrasound.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>The prevalence of PCOM in women with FHA varied from 41.9% to 46.7%, which is higher than in healthy non-PCOS controls. Hypothetically, the high prevalence might be due to a mixture of silent PCOM, as in the general population, and pre-existing PCOS. Several differences in metabolic and hormonal parameters were found between FHA-PCOM and FHA-non-PCOM patients. While oestrogen deficiency is common to both groups of patients, FHA-PCOM patients have a higher BMI, higher levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and testosterone, a higher increase in LH in the course of a GnRH test, and lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels than FHA-non-PCOM patients. The differential diagnosis between FHA-PCOM and PCOS, especially PCOS phenotype D (PCOM and oligo-/anovulation without hyperandrogenism), can be challenging. Several parameters have been suggested, which are helpful though not absolutely reliable. They include the typical causes for FHA (excessive exercise, energy deficit, and/or psychological stress), the serum levels of LH, testosterone, and SHBG, as well as the progestin challenge test. Whether FHA-PCOM has a different risk profile for long-term consequences concerning patients' metabolic and cardiovascular situation as well as their bone mass, is unclear. Concerning therapeutic aspects, there are only few data about FHA-PCOM compared to FHA-non-PCOM. To treat anovula
{"title":"Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea and polycystic ovarian morphology: a narrative review about an intriguing association.","authors":"Johannes Ott, Geoffroy Robin, Marlene Hager, Didier Dewailly","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae030","DOIUrl":"10.1093/humupd/dmae030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA) is responsible for 20-35% of all cases of secondary amenorrhoea and, thus, is the second most common cause of secondary amenorrhoea after polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A high number of patients with FHA reveal polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) on ultrasound. The combination of amenorrhoea and PCOM can lead to confusion. First, amenorrhoeic women with PCOM fulfil the revised Rotterdam criteria and, thus, can easily be misdiagnosed with PCOS. Moreover, it has been claimed that some women with FHA and concomitant PCOM differ from those without PCOM in terms of endocrine regulation and metabolic traits.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>The main focus of this article was on studies about FHA, which differentiated between patients with or without PCOM. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of PCOM and to look if it has an impact on pathophysiologic, diagnostic and therapeutic issues as well as on long-term consequences.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>Peer review original and review articles were selected from PubMed searches for this review. Searches were performed using the search terms 'polycystic AND functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea'. The reference lists of publications found were searched for relevant additional studies. The inclusion criteria for publications were: English language, patients' age ≥ 18 years, year of publication >1980, original studies, validated diagnosis of FHA, and validated diagnosis of PCOM using transvaginal ultrasound.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>The prevalence of PCOM in women with FHA varied from 41.9% to 46.7%, which is higher than in healthy non-PCOS controls. Hypothetically, the high prevalence might be due to a mixture of silent PCOM, as in the general population, and pre-existing PCOS. Several differences in metabolic and hormonal parameters were found between FHA-PCOM and FHA-non-PCOM patients. While oestrogen deficiency is common to both groups of patients, FHA-PCOM patients have a higher BMI, higher levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and testosterone, a higher increase in LH in the course of a GnRH test, and lower sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels than FHA-non-PCOM patients. The differential diagnosis between FHA-PCOM and PCOS, especially PCOS phenotype D (PCOM and oligo-/anovulation without hyperandrogenism), can be challenging. Several parameters have been suggested, which are helpful though not absolutely reliable. They include the typical causes for FHA (excessive exercise, energy deficit, and/or psychological stress), the serum levels of LH, testosterone, and SHBG, as well as the progestin challenge test. Whether FHA-PCOM has a different risk profile for long-term consequences concerning patients' metabolic and cardiovascular situation as well as their bone mass, is unclear. Concerning therapeutic aspects, there are only few data about FHA-PCOM compared to FHA-non-PCOM. To treat anovula","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":" ","pages":"64-79"},"PeriodicalIF":14.8,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11696701/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142395365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nienke Schouten, Rui Wang, Helen Torrance, Theodora Van Tilborg, Ercan Bastu, Christina Bergh, Thomas D’Hooghe, Jesper Friis Petersen, Kannamannadiar Jayaprakasan, Yacoub Khalaf, Ellen Klinkert, Antonio La Marca, Lan Vuong, Louise Lapensée, Sarah Lensen, Åsa Magnusson, Adolfo Allegra, Anders Nyboe Andersen, Simone Oudshoorn, Biljana Popovic-Todorovic, Ben Willem Mol, Marinus Eijkemans, Frank Broekmans
BACKGROUND The ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation varies widely among women, and could impact the probability of live birth as well as treatment risks. Many studies have evaluated the impact of different gonadotropin starting doses, mainly based on predictive variables like ovarian reserve tests (ORT) including anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), and basal follicle-stimulating hormone (bFSH). A Cochrane systematic review revealed that individualizing the gonadotropin starting dose does not affect efficacy in terms of ongoing pregnancy/live birth rates, but may reduce treatment risks such as the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). An individual patient data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) offers a unique opportunity to develop and validate a universal prediction model to help choose the optimal gonadotropin starting dose to minimize treatment risks without affecting efficacy. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The objective of this IPD-MA is to develop and validate a gonadotropin dose-selection model to guide the choice of a gonadotropin starting dose in IVF/ICSI, with the purpose of minimizing treatment risks without compromising live birth rates. SEARCH METHODS Electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CRSO were searched to identify eligible studies. The last search was performed on 13 July 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared different doses of gonadotropins in women undergoing IVF/ICSI, presented at least one type of ORT, and reported on live birth or ongoing pregnancy. Authors of eligible studies were contacted to share their individual participant data (IPD). IPD and information within publications were used to determine the risk of bias. Generalized linear mixed multilevel models were applied for predictor selection and model development. OUTCOMES A total of 14 RCTs with data of 3455 participants were included. After extensive modeling, women aged 39 years and over were excluded, which resulted in the definitive inclusion of 2907 women. The optimal prediction model for live birth included six predictors: age, gonadotropin starting dose, body mass index, AFC, IVF/ICSI, and AMH. This model had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.557 (95% confidence interval (CI) from 0.536 to 0.577). The clinically feasible live birth model included age, starting dose, and AMH and had an AUC of 0.554 (95% CI from 0.530 to 0.578). Two models were selected as the optimal model for combined treatment risk, as their performance was equal. One included age, starting dose, AMH, and bFSH; the other also included gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog. The AUCs for both models were 0.769 (95% CI from 0.729 to 0.809). The clinically feasible model for combined treatment risk included age, starting dose, AMH, and GnRH analog, and had an AUC of 0.748 (95% CI from 0.709 to 0.787). WIDER IMPLICATIONS The aim of this study was to create a model including patient characteristics whereby gon
{"title":"Development and validation of a gonadotropin dose selection model for optimized ovarian stimulation in IVF/ICSI: an individual participant data meta-analysis","authors":"Nienke Schouten, Rui Wang, Helen Torrance, Theodora Van Tilborg, Ercan Bastu, Christina Bergh, Thomas D’Hooghe, Jesper Friis Petersen, Kannamannadiar Jayaprakasan, Yacoub Khalaf, Ellen Klinkert, Antonio La Marca, Lan Vuong, Louise Lapensée, Sarah Lensen, Åsa Magnusson, Adolfo Allegra, Anders Nyboe Andersen, Simone Oudshoorn, Biljana Popovic-Todorovic, Ben Willem Mol, Marinus Eijkemans, Frank Broekmans","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae032","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND The ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation varies widely among women, and could impact the probability of live birth as well as treatment risks. Many studies have evaluated the impact of different gonadotropin starting doses, mainly based on predictive variables like ovarian reserve tests (ORT) including anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC), and basal follicle-stimulating hormone (bFSH). A Cochrane systematic review revealed that individualizing the gonadotropin starting dose does not affect efficacy in terms of ongoing pregnancy/live birth rates, but may reduce treatment risks such as the development of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). An individual patient data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) offers a unique opportunity to develop and validate a universal prediction model to help choose the optimal gonadotropin starting dose to minimize treatment risks without affecting efficacy. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The objective of this IPD-MA is to develop and validate a gonadotropin dose-selection model to guide the choice of a gonadotropin starting dose in IVF/ICSI, with the purpose of minimizing treatment risks without compromising live birth rates. SEARCH METHODS Electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CRSO were searched to identify eligible studies. The last search was performed on 13 July 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they compared different doses of gonadotropins in women undergoing IVF/ICSI, presented at least one type of ORT, and reported on live birth or ongoing pregnancy. Authors of eligible studies were contacted to share their individual participant data (IPD). IPD and information within publications were used to determine the risk of bias. Generalized linear mixed multilevel models were applied for predictor selection and model development. OUTCOMES A total of 14 RCTs with data of 3455 participants were included. After extensive modeling, women aged 39 years and over were excluded, which resulted in the definitive inclusion of 2907 women. The optimal prediction model for live birth included six predictors: age, gonadotropin starting dose, body mass index, AFC, IVF/ICSI, and AMH. This model had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.557 (95% confidence interval (CI) from 0.536 to 0.577). The clinically feasible live birth model included age, starting dose, and AMH and had an AUC of 0.554 (95% CI from 0.530 to 0.578). Two models were selected as the optimal model for combined treatment risk, as their performance was equal. One included age, starting dose, AMH, and bFSH; the other also included gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analog. The AUCs for both models were 0.769 (95% CI from 0.729 to 0.809). The clinically feasible model for combined treatment risk included age, starting dose, AMH, and GnRH analog, and had an AUC of 0.748 (95% CI from 0.709 to 0.787). WIDER IMPLICATIONS The aim of this study was to create a model including patient characteristics whereby gon","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142867040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nushin Naderi, Marziyeh Tavalaee, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
BACKGROUND Varicocele is an abnormal dilation and torsion of the pampiniform venous plexus in the scrotum due to venous reflux, primarily affecting the left side. It affects 15% of men and is a prevalent contributor to male infertility. Varicocele is a complex disorder influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Epigenetic modifications, which regulate genome activity independently of DNA or RNA sequences, may contribute to the development and severity of varicocele. These include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA modifications like N6-methyladenosine (m6A). Irregularities in DNA and m6A-RNA methylation during spermatogenesis can cause gene expression abnormalities, DNA damage, and decreased fertility in varicocele patients. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The review aims to comprehensively understand the underlying mechanisms of varicocele, a condition that can significantly impact male fertility. By exploring the role of methylation modifications, specifically DNA and m6A-RNA methylation, the review aims to synthesize evidence from basic, preclinical, and clinical research to expand the existing knowledge on this subject. The ultimate goal is to identify potential avenues for developing targeted treatments that can effectively improve varicocele and ultimately increase sperm quality in affected individuals. SEARCH METHODS A thorough investigation of the scientific literature was conducted through searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases until May 2024. All studies investigating the relationship between DNA and m6A-RNA methylation and male infertility, particularly varicocele were reviewed, and the most pertinent reports were included. Keywords such as varicocele, epigenetics, DNA methylation, m6A-RNA methylation, hypermethylation, hypomethylation, spermatozoa, semen parameters, spermatogenesis, and male infertility were used during the literature search, either individually or in combination. OUTCOMES The sperm has a specialized morphology essential for successful fertilization, and its epigenome is unique, potentially playing a key role in embryogenesis. Sperm DNA and RNA methylation, major epigenetic marks, regulate the expression of testicular genes crucial for normal spermatogenesis. This review explores the role of DNA and m6A-RNA methylation, in responding to oxidative stress and how various nutrients influence their function in varicocele condition. Evidence suggests a potential link between varicocele and aberrant DNA/m6A-RNA methylation patterns, especially hypomethylation, but the body of evidence is still limited. Further studies are needed to understand how abnormal expression of DNA/m6A-RNA methylation regulators affects testicular gene expression. Thus, analyzing sperm DNA 5mC/5hmC levels and m6A-RNA methylation regulators may reveal spermatogenesis defects and predict reproductive outcomes. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Nutri-epigenomics is an emerging field that could enhance the knowledge an
{"title":"The epigenetic approach of varicocele: a focus on sperm DNA and m6A-RNA methylation","authors":"Nushin Naderi, Marziyeh Tavalaee, Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae034","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND Varicocele is an abnormal dilation and torsion of the pampiniform venous plexus in the scrotum due to venous reflux, primarily affecting the left side. It affects 15% of men and is a prevalent contributor to male infertility. Varicocele is a complex disorder influenced by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Epigenetic modifications, which regulate genome activity independently of DNA or RNA sequences, may contribute to the development and severity of varicocele. These include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and RNA modifications like N6-methyladenosine (m6A). Irregularities in DNA and m6A-RNA methylation during spermatogenesis can cause gene expression abnormalities, DNA damage, and decreased fertility in varicocele patients. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The review aims to comprehensively understand the underlying mechanisms of varicocele, a condition that can significantly impact male fertility. By exploring the role of methylation modifications, specifically DNA and m6A-RNA methylation, the review aims to synthesize evidence from basic, preclinical, and clinical research to expand the existing knowledge on this subject. The ultimate goal is to identify potential avenues for developing targeted treatments that can effectively improve varicocele and ultimately increase sperm quality in affected individuals. SEARCH METHODS A thorough investigation of the scientific literature was conducted through searches in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct databases until May 2024. All studies investigating the relationship between DNA and m6A-RNA methylation and male infertility, particularly varicocele were reviewed, and the most pertinent reports were included. Keywords such as varicocele, epigenetics, DNA methylation, m6A-RNA methylation, hypermethylation, hypomethylation, spermatozoa, semen parameters, spermatogenesis, and male infertility were used during the literature search, either individually or in combination. OUTCOMES The sperm has a specialized morphology essential for successful fertilization, and its epigenome is unique, potentially playing a key role in embryogenesis. Sperm DNA and RNA methylation, major epigenetic marks, regulate the expression of testicular genes crucial for normal spermatogenesis. This review explores the role of DNA and m6A-RNA methylation, in responding to oxidative stress and how various nutrients influence their function in varicocele condition. Evidence suggests a potential link between varicocele and aberrant DNA/m6A-RNA methylation patterns, especially hypomethylation, but the body of evidence is still limited. Further studies are needed to understand how abnormal expression of DNA/m6A-RNA methylation regulators affects testicular gene expression. Thus, analyzing sperm DNA 5mC/5hmC levels and m6A-RNA methylation regulators may reveal spermatogenesis defects and predict reproductive outcomes. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Nutri-epigenomics is an emerging field that could enhance the knowledge an","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":"200 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tanya Dimova, Marina Alexandrova, Ivaylo Vangelov, Yuan You, Gil Mor
BACKGROUND Successful implantation is a critical step for embryo survival. The major losses in natural and assisted human reproduction appeared to occur during the peri-implantation period. Because of ethical constraints, the fascinating maternal–fetal crosstalk during human implantation is difficult to study and thus, the possibility for clinical intervention is still limited. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review highlights some features of human implantation as a unique, ineffective and difficult-to-model process and summarizes the pros and cons of the most used in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro models. We point out the variety of cell line-derived models and how these data are corroborated by well-defined primary cells of the same nature. Important aspects related to the handling, standardization, validation, and modus operandi of the advanced 3D in vitro models are widely discussed. Special attention is paid to blastocyst-like models recapitulating the hybrid phenotype and HLA profile of extravillous trophoblasts, which are a unique yet poorly understood population with a major role in the successful implantation and immune mother-embryo recognition. Despite raising new ethical dilemmas, extended embryo cultures and synthetic embryo models are also in the scope of our review. SEARCH METHODS We searched the electronic database PubMed from inception until March 2024 by using a multi-stage search strategy of MeSH terms and keywords. In addition, we conducted a forward and backward reference search of authors mentioned in selected articles. OUTCOMES Primates and rodents are valuable in vivo models for human implantation research. However, the deep interstitial, glandular, and endovascular invasion accompanied by a range of human-specific factors responsible for the survival of the fetus determines the uniqueness of the human implantation and limits the cross-species extrapolation of the data. The ex vivo models are short-term cultures, not relevant to the period of implantation, and difficult to standardize. Moreover, the access to tissues from elective terminations of pregnancy raises ethical and legal concerns. Easy-to-culture cancer cell lines have many limitations such as being prone to spontaneous transformation and lacking decent tissue characteristics. The replacement of the original human explants, primary cells or cancer cell lines with cultures of immortalized cell lines with preserved stem cell characteristics appears to be superior for in vitro modeling of human implantation and early placentation. Remarkable advances in our understanding of the peri-implantation stages have also been made by advanced three dimensional (3D) models i.e. spheroids, organoids, and assembloids, as placental and endometrial surrogates. Much work remains to be done for the optimization and standardization of these integrated and complex models. The inclusion of immune components in these models would be an asset to delineate mechanisms of immune tolerance. Stem
{"title":"The modeling of human implantation and early placentation: achievements and perspectives","authors":"Tanya Dimova, Marina Alexandrova, Ivaylo Vangelov, Yuan You, Gil Mor","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae033","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND Successful implantation is a critical step for embryo survival. The major losses in natural and assisted human reproduction appeared to occur during the peri-implantation period. Because of ethical constraints, the fascinating maternal–fetal crosstalk during human implantation is difficult to study and thus, the possibility for clinical intervention is still limited. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review highlights some features of human implantation as a unique, ineffective and difficult-to-model process and summarizes the pros and cons of the most used in vivo, ex vivo and in vitro models. We point out the variety of cell line-derived models and how these data are corroborated by well-defined primary cells of the same nature. Important aspects related to the handling, standardization, validation, and modus operandi of the advanced 3D in vitro models are widely discussed. Special attention is paid to blastocyst-like models recapitulating the hybrid phenotype and HLA profile of extravillous trophoblasts, which are a unique yet poorly understood population with a major role in the successful implantation and immune mother-embryo recognition. Despite raising new ethical dilemmas, extended embryo cultures and synthetic embryo models are also in the scope of our review. SEARCH METHODS We searched the electronic database PubMed from inception until March 2024 by using a multi-stage search strategy of MeSH terms and keywords. In addition, we conducted a forward and backward reference search of authors mentioned in selected articles. OUTCOMES Primates and rodents are valuable in vivo models for human implantation research. However, the deep interstitial, glandular, and endovascular invasion accompanied by a range of human-specific factors responsible for the survival of the fetus determines the uniqueness of the human implantation and limits the cross-species extrapolation of the data. The ex vivo models are short-term cultures, not relevant to the period of implantation, and difficult to standardize. Moreover, the access to tissues from elective terminations of pregnancy raises ethical and legal concerns. Easy-to-culture cancer cell lines have many limitations such as being prone to spontaneous transformation and lacking decent tissue characteristics. The replacement of the original human explants, primary cells or cancer cell lines with cultures of immortalized cell lines with preserved stem cell characteristics appears to be superior for in vitro modeling of human implantation and early placentation. Remarkable advances in our understanding of the peri-implantation stages have also been made by advanced three dimensional (3D) models i.e. spheroids, organoids, and assembloids, as placental and endometrial surrogates. Much work remains to be done for the optimization and standardization of these integrated and complex models. The inclusion of immune components in these models would be an asset to delineate mechanisms of immune tolerance. Stem ","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2024-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Letizia Li Piani, Pasquale Petrone, Mariafrancesca Brutto, Anick De Vos, Annelore Van Der Kelen, Alberto Vaiarelli, Laura Rienzi, Alessandro Conforti, Danilo Cimadomo, Willem Verpoest
<p><strong>Background: </strong>To prevent the transfer of embryos affected by monogenic conditions and/or chromosomal defects, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) requires trophectoderm biopsy and cryopreservation. In 2-6% of biopsies, the diagnosis may be inconclusive due to DNA amplification failure or low-quality results. In these cases, a round of re-warming, re-biopsy, and re-cryopreservation is required to obtain a genetic diagnosis. In other cases, when the IVF centre starts providing PGT and/or when the patients develop an indication because of multiple failures, miscarriages or the birth of an affected child after IVF, cryopreserved untested embryos may be warmed, biopsied, and then re-vitrified. However, it is still unclear whether multiple manipulations may reduce reproductive outcomes after PGT.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>This study aimed at conducting a systematic review to investigate the available evidence on the safety of double biopsy and/or double cryopreservation-warming and provide recommendations in this regard. We performed meta-analyses of the differences in the reproductive outcomes (live birth per embryo transfer [LBR per ET], clinical pregnancy rate per ET [CPR per ET], and miscarriage rate per clinical pregnancy [MR per CP]) in double cryopreservation and single biopsy (CBC) or double biopsy and double cryopreservation (BCBC) flows vs the control single biopsy and single cryopreservation (BC) flow. Cryo-survival rates before ET and gestational and perinatal outcomes were also reported.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>PRISMA guidelines were followed to gather all available information from the literature (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase). We used Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and a list of specific keywords relevant for the study question. We searched for original studies in humans, published in peer-reviewed journals in English up to April 2024. Four independent authors assessed the articles for inclusion. One included paper was retrieved from another source.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>A total of 4219 records were identified, and 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Certainty of evidence level ranged from low to moderate. Both the CBC and BCBC groups showed reduced reproductive outcomes compared to the control (BC). Specifically, live birth rates per embryo transfer were lower in the CBC group (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38-0.81, I2 = 58%; six studies) and the BCBC group (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.34-0.77, I2 = 24%; six studies). CPR per ET were also lower in the CBC group (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.51-0.92, I2 = 57%; seven studies) and the BCBC group (OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.46-0.78, I2 = 0%; seven studies). Additionally, MR per CPs were higher in both the CBC group (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.02-2.77, I2 = 50%; seven studies) and the BCBC group (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.13-3.83, I2 = 28%; seven studies). Cryo-survival as well as gestational and perinatal outcomes were within the expected norms in the st
{"title":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of double trophectoderm biopsy and/or cryopreservation in PGT: balancing the need for a diagnosis against the risk of harm.","authors":"Letizia Li Piani, Pasquale Petrone, Mariafrancesca Brutto, Anick De Vos, Annelore Van Der Kelen, Alberto Vaiarelli, Laura Rienzi, Alessandro Conforti, Danilo Cimadomo, Willem Verpoest","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae031","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>To prevent the transfer of embryos affected by monogenic conditions and/or chromosomal defects, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) requires trophectoderm biopsy and cryopreservation. In 2-6% of biopsies, the diagnosis may be inconclusive due to DNA amplification failure or low-quality results. In these cases, a round of re-warming, re-biopsy, and re-cryopreservation is required to obtain a genetic diagnosis. In other cases, when the IVF centre starts providing PGT and/or when the patients develop an indication because of multiple failures, miscarriages or the birth of an affected child after IVF, cryopreserved untested embryos may be warmed, biopsied, and then re-vitrified. However, it is still unclear whether multiple manipulations may reduce reproductive outcomes after PGT.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>This study aimed at conducting a systematic review to investigate the available evidence on the safety of double biopsy and/or double cryopreservation-warming and provide recommendations in this regard. We performed meta-analyses of the differences in the reproductive outcomes (live birth per embryo transfer [LBR per ET], clinical pregnancy rate per ET [CPR per ET], and miscarriage rate per clinical pregnancy [MR per CP]) in double cryopreservation and single biopsy (CBC) or double biopsy and double cryopreservation (BCBC) flows vs the control single biopsy and single cryopreservation (BC) flow. Cryo-survival rates before ET and gestational and perinatal outcomes were also reported.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>PRISMA guidelines were followed to gather all available information from the literature (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase). We used Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and a list of specific keywords relevant for the study question. We searched for original studies in humans, published in peer-reviewed journals in English up to April 2024. Four independent authors assessed the articles for inclusion. One included paper was retrieved from another source.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>A total of 4219 records were identified, and 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Certainty of evidence level ranged from low to moderate. Both the CBC and BCBC groups showed reduced reproductive outcomes compared to the control (BC). Specifically, live birth rates per embryo transfer were lower in the CBC group (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38-0.81, I2 = 58%; six studies) and the BCBC group (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.34-0.77, I2 = 24%; six studies). CPR per ET were also lower in the CBC group (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.51-0.92, I2 = 57%; seven studies) and the BCBC group (OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.46-0.78, I2 = 0%; seven studies). Additionally, MR per CPs were higher in both the CBC group (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: 1.02-2.77, I2 = 50%; seven studies) and the BCBC group (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.13-3.83, I2 = 28%; seven studies). Cryo-survival as well as gestational and perinatal outcomes were within the expected norms in the st","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142640315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Edwina H Yeung,Ian R Trees,Priscilla K Clayton,Kristen J Polinski,Alicia A Livinski,Diane L Putnick
BACKGROUNDStudies have inconsistently observed that children conceived by IVF or ICSI have higher blood pressure compared to children not conceived by these ARTs.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEThe aim was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of blood pressure measures of offspring conceived by ART and those conceived naturally. Resolving the suspicion of ART as a risk factor of higher blood pressure, and therefore of heart disease, has public health and clinical implications.SEARCH METHODSA biomedical librarian searched the Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Searches were limited to records published in English since 1978. Grey literature was searched. Inclusion criteria were humans born via infertility treatment (vs no treatment) who underwent a blood pressure assessment. Exclusion criteria were non-human participants, non-quantitative studies, absence of a control group, and specialty populations (e.g. cancer patients only). Two reviewers independently screened each record's title and abstract and full text using Covidence, extracted data using Excel, and assessed bias using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Quality Assessment Tool for cohort studies.OUTCOMESOf 5082 records identified, 79 were included in the systematic review and 36 were included in the meta-analysis of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in ART and non-ART groups. Overall, 34 reports including 40 effect sizes from 25 unique cohorts, compared blood pressure between ART (N = 5229) and non-ART (N = 8509, reference) groups with no covariate adjustment. No standardized mean differences (SMD) in SBP (0.06 per SD of mmHg, 95% CI = -0.05, 0.18) or DBP (0.11, 95% CI = -0.04, 0.25) by treatment were found, but the heterogeneity was considerable (I2=76% for SBP and 87% for DBP). Adjusted analyses were presented in 12 reports, representing 28 effect sizes from 21 unique cohorts (N = 2242 treatment vs N = 37 590 non-treatment). Studies adjusted for varied covariates including maternal (e.g. age, education, body mass index, smoking, pregnancy complications), child (e.g. sex, age, physical activity, BMI, height), and birth characteristics (e.g. birth weight and gestational age). Adjusted results similarly showed no SMD for SBP (-0.03, 95% CI = -0.13, 0.08) or DBP (0.02, 95% CI = -0.12, 0.16), though heterogeneity remained high (I2 = 64% and 86%). Funnel plots indicated a slight publication bias, but the trim and fill approach suggested no missing studies. Removal of five studies which adjusted for birth outcomes (potentially over-adjusting for mediators) made no material difference. Type of treatment (e.g. IVF vs ICSI), period effects by birth year (≤2000 vs >2000), offspring age group (<8, 8-14, 15+), or study location (e.g. Europe) did not modify the results.WIDER IMPLICATIONSIn conclusion, conception by ART was not associated with offspring blood pressure in a meta-analysis, although considerable heterogeneity was observed. Given
背景研究发现,通过试管婴儿或卵胞浆内单精子显微注射(ICSI)受孕的儿童与非通过这些人工授精技术受孕的儿童相比,血压较高,这一点并不一致。解决关于 ART 是导致血压升高并进而导致心脏病的风险因素的怀疑具有公共卫生和临床意义。检索方法SA 生物医学图书管理员检索了 Embase、PubMed 和 Web of Science 数据库。搜索仅限于 1978 年以来发表的英文文献。还检索了灰色文献。纳入标准为通过不孕症治疗(与未接受治疗)出生并接受血压评估的人类。排除标准为非人类参与者、非定量研究、无对照组和特殊人群(如仅癌症患者)。两名审稿人使用 Covidence 独立筛选每条记录的标题、摘要和全文,使用 Excel 提取数据,并使用美国国家心肺血液研究所的队列研究质量评估工具评估偏倚。总体而言,34 份报告(包括来自 25 个独特队列的 40 个效应大小)比较了抗逆转录病毒疗法组(N = 5229)和非抗逆转录病毒疗法组(N = 8509,参考组)之间的血压,未进行协变量调整。没有发现治疗方法对 SBP(每 SD mmHg 0.06,95% CI = -0.05,0.18)或 DBP(0.11,95% CI = -0.04,0.25)的标准化均值差异 (SMD),但异质性相当大(SBP 的 I2=76%,DBP 的 I2=87%)。调整后的分析结果载于 12 份报告中,代表了来自 21 个独特队列的 28 个效应大小(N = 2242 治疗 vs N = 37 590 非治疗)。研究对各种协变量进行了调整,包括母亲(如年龄、教育程度、体重指数、吸烟、妊娠并发症)、儿童(如性别、年龄、体力活动、体重指数、身高)和出生特征(如出生体重和胎龄)。调整后的结果同样显示,SBP(-0.03,95% CI = -0.13,0.08)或 DBP(0.02,95% CI = -0.12,0.16)没有 SMD,但异质性仍然很高(I2 = 64% 和 86%)。漏斗图显示有轻微的发表偏倚,但修剪和填充法表明没有遗漏的研究。删除了五项对出生结果进行调整的研究(可能对中介因素进行了过度调整),但这些研究并无实质性差异。治疗类型(如体外受精与卵胞浆内单精子显微注射)、出生年份的时期效应(≤2000 vs >2000)、后代年龄组(<8、8-14、15+)或研究地点(如欧洲)均未改变结果。鉴于通过抗逆转录病毒疗法出生的孩子越来越多,血压差异的长期存在将意味着在人口层面对许多儿童/成人进行不必要的风险筛查。在临床层面上,考虑使用这些生殖技术的夫妇可以放心,没有证据表明使用这些技术会导致血管 "程序化"。
{"title":"Infertility treatment and offspring blood pressure-a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Edwina H Yeung,Ian R Trees,Priscilla K Clayton,Kristen J Polinski,Alicia A Livinski,Diane L Putnick","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae029","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUNDStudies have inconsistently observed that children conceived by IVF or ICSI have higher blood pressure compared to children not conceived by these ARTs.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEThe aim was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of blood pressure measures of offspring conceived by ART and those conceived naturally. Resolving the suspicion of ART as a risk factor of higher blood pressure, and therefore of heart disease, has public health and clinical implications.SEARCH METHODSA biomedical librarian searched the Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Searches were limited to records published in English since 1978. Grey literature was searched. Inclusion criteria were humans born via infertility treatment (vs no treatment) who underwent a blood pressure assessment. Exclusion criteria were non-human participants, non-quantitative studies, absence of a control group, and specialty populations (e.g. cancer patients only). Two reviewers independently screened each record's title and abstract and full text using Covidence, extracted data using Excel, and assessed bias using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Quality Assessment Tool for cohort studies.OUTCOMESOf 5082 records identified, 79 were included in the systematic review and 36 were included in the meta-analysis of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in ART and non-ART groups. Overall, 34 reports including 40 effect sizes from 25 unique cohorts, compared blood pressure between ART (N = 5229) and non-ART (N = 8509, reference) groups with no covariate adjustment. No standardized mean differences (SMD) in SBP (0.06 per SD of mmHg, 95% CI = -0.05, 0.18) or DBP (0.11, 95% CI = -0.04, 0.25) by treatment were found, but the heterogeneity was considerable (I2=76% for SBP and 87% for DBP). Adjusted analyses were presented in 12 reports, representing 28 effect sizes from 21 unique cohorts (N = 2242 treatment vs N = 37 590 non-treatment). Studies adjusted for varied covariates including maternal (e.g. age, education, body mass index, smoking, pregnancy complications), child (e.g. sex, age, physical activity, BMI, height), and birth characteristics (e.g. birth weight and gestational age). Adjusted results similarly showed no SMD for SBP (-0.03, 95% CI = -0.13, 0.08) or DBP (0.02, 95% CI = -0.12, 0.16), though heterogeneity remained high (I2 = 64% and 86%). Funnel plots indicated a slight publication bias, but the trim and fill approach suggested no missing studies. Removal of five studies which adjusted for birth outcomes (potentially over-adjusting for mediators) made no material difference. Type of treatment (e.g. IVF vs ICSI), period effects by birth year (≤2000 vs >2000), offspring age group (<8, 8-14, 15+), or study location (e.g. Europe) did not modify the results.WIDER IMPLICATIONSIn conclusion, conception by ART was not associated with offspring blood pressure in a meta-analysis, although considerable heterogeneity was observed. Given ","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":13.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142385349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antonio Capalbo, Guido de Wert, Heidi Mertes, Liraz Klausner, Edith Coonen, Francesca Spinella, Hilde Van de Velde, Stephane Viville, Karen Sermon, Nathalie Vermeulen, Todd Lencz, Shai Carmi
<p><strong>Background: </strong>The genetic composition of embryos generated by in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be examined with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Until recently, PGT was limited to detecting single-gene, high-risk pathogenic variants, large structural variants, and aneuploidy. Recent advances have made genome-wide genotyping of IVF embryos feasible and affordable, raising the possibility of screening embryos for their risk of polygenic diseases such as breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes, or schizophrenia. Despite a heated debate around this new technology, called polygenic embryo screening (PES; also PGT-P), it is already available to IVF patients in some countries. Several articles have studied epidemiological, clinical, and ethical perspectives on PES; however, a comprehensive, principled review of this emerging field is missing.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>This review has four main goals. First, given the interdisciplinary nature of PES studies, we aim to provide a self-contained educational background about PES to reproductive specialists interested in the subject. Second, we provide a comprehensive and critical review of arguments for and against the introduction of PES, crystallizing and prioritizing the key issues. We also cover the attitudes of IVF patients, clinicians, and the public towards PES. Third, we distinguish between possible future groups of PES patients, highlighting the benefits and harms pertaining to each group. Finally, our review, which is supported by ESHRE, is intended to aid healthcare professionals and policymakers in decision-making regarding whether to introduce PES in the clinic, and if so, how, and to whom.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>We searched for PubMed-indexed articles published between 1/1/2003 and 1/3/2024 using the terms 'polygenic embryo screening', 'polygenic preimplantation', and 'PGT-P'. We limited the review to primary research papers in English whose main focus was PES for medical conditions. We also included papers that did not appear in the search but were deemed relevant.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>The main theoretical benefit of PES is a reduction in lifetime polygenic disease risk for children born after screening. The magnitude of the risk reduction has been predicted based on statistical modelling, simulations, and sibling pair analyses. Results based on all methods suggest that under the best-case scenario, large relative risk reductions are possible for one or more diseases. However, as these models abstract several practical limitations, the realized benefits may be smaller, particularly due to a limited number of embryos and unclear future accuracy of the risk estimates. PES may negatively impact patients and their future children, as well as society. The main personal harms are an unindicated IVF treatment, a possible reduction in IVF success rates, and patient confusion, incomplete counselling, and choice overload. The main p
背景:体外受精(IVF)产生的胚胎的基因组成可通过植入前基因检测(PGT)进行检查。直到最近,植入前基因检测还仅限于检测单基因、高风险致病变异、大结构变异和非整倍体。最近的进步使得对试管婴儿胚胎进行全基因组基因分型变得可行且经济实惠,为筛查胚胎罹患乳腺癌、高血压、糖尿病或精神分裂症等多基因疾病的风险提供了可能。尽管围绕这项被称为多基因胚胎筛查(PES;也称 PGT-P)的新技术存在激烈的争论,但在一些国家,试管婴儿患者已经可以使用这项技术。有几篇文章从流行病学、临床和伦理的角度对多基因胚胎筛查进行了研究;然而,目前还缺少对这一新兴领域的全面、有原则的综述。首先,鉴于 PES 研究的跨学科性质,我们旨在为对该主题感兴趣的生殖专家提供有关 PES 的完整教育背景。其次,我们对支持和反对引入 PES 的论点进行了全面和批判性的回顾,并将关键问题具体化和优先化。我们还介绍了试管婴儿患者、临床医生和公众对 PES 的态度。第三,我们对未来可能的 PES 患者群体进行了区分,并强调了与每个群体相关的益处和害处。最后,我们的综述得到了 ESHRE 的支持,旨在帮助医疗保健专业人员和政策制定者就是否在临床中引入 PES,以及如果引入,如何引入和对谁引入做出决策:我们使用 "多基因胚胎筛查"、"多基因植入前 "和 "PGT-P "等词搜索了 2003 年 1 月 1 日至 2024 年 3 月 1 日期间发表的 PubM 索引文章。我们将综述范围限制在主要关注针对医学症状的多基因胚胎筛查的英文初级研究论文。我们还收录了未在搜索中出现但被认为相关的论文:PES 的主要理论益处是降低筛查后出生儿童的终生多基因疾病风险。根据统计建模、模拟和同胞配对分析预测了风险降低的幅度。根据所有方法得出的结果表明,在最佳情况下,一种或多种疾病的相对风险可能会大幅降低。然而,由于这些模型抽象出一些实际限制,实现的收益可能较小,特别是由于胚胎数量有限以及未来风险估计的准确性不明确。PES 可能会对患者及其未来的孩子以及社会产生负面影响。主要的个人危害是不确定的试管婴儿治疗、试管婴儿成功率可能降低、患者困惑、咨询不全面和选择过多。可能造成的主要社会危害包括:胚胎被丢弃、对 "设计婴儿 "的需求不断增加、过分强调疾病的遗传决定因素、获取机会不平等以及非欧洲血统人群的效用较低。主要潜在患者群体(包括已经需要试管婴儿的患者、有严重多基因病史的可育人群和可育的健康人群)的利弊各不相同。在美国,试管婴儿患者和公众对 PES 的态度似乎是积极的,而医疗保健专业人员则持谨慎态度,对临床效用持怀疑态度,并对患者咨询表示担忧:PES在降低多种多基因疾病风险方面的理论潜力需要进一步研究其益处和害处。考虑到大量的实际限制和可能的危害,尤其是不必要的试管婴儿治疗和被丢弃的存活胚胎,在进一步明确其利弊平衡之前,PES 只应在研究背景下提供。需要通过扩大公众和患者教育,提供信息丰富、不偏不倚的遗传咨询资源,来缩小医疗保健专业人员与公众之间的态度差距。
{"title":"Screening embryos for polygenic disease risk: a review of epidemiological, clinical, and ethical considerations.","authors":"Antonio Capalbo, Guido de Wert, Heidi Mertes, Liraz Klausner, Edith Coonen, Francesca Spinella, Hilde Van de Velde, Stephane Viville, Karen Sermon, Nathalie Vermeulen, Todd Lencz, Shai Carmi","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae012","DOIUrl":"10.1093/humupd/dmae012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The genetic composition of embryos generated by in vitro fertilization (IVF) can be examined with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT). Until recently, PGT was limited to detecting single-gene, high-risk pathogenic variants, large structural variants, and aneuploidy. Recent advances have made genome-wide genotyping of IVF embryos feasible and affordable, raising the possibility of screening embryos for their risk of polygenic diseases such as breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes, or schizophrenia. Despite a heated debate around this new technology, called polygenic embryo screening (PES; also PGT-P), it is already available to IVF patients in some countries. Several articles have studied epidemiological, clinical, and ethical perspectives on PES; however, a comprehensive, principled review of this emerging field is missing.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>This review has four main goals. First, given the interdisciplinary nature of PES studies, we aim to provide a self-contained educational background about PES to reproductive specialists interested in the subject. Second, we provide a comprehensive and critical review of arguments for and against the introduction of PES, crystallizing and prioritizing the key issues. We also cover the attitudes of IVF patients, clinicians, and the public towards PES. Third, we distinguish between possible future groups of PES patients, highlighting the benefits and harms pertaining to each group. Finally, our review, which is supported by ESHRE, is intended to aid healthcare professionals and policymakers in decision-making regarding whether to introduce PES in the clinic, and if so, how, and to whom.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>We searched for PubMed-indexed articles published between 1/1/2003 and 1/3/2024 using the terms 'polygenic embryo screening', 'polygenic preimplantation', and 'PGT-P'. We limited the review to primary research papers in English whose main focus was PES for medical conditions. We also included papers that did not appear in the search but were deemed relevant.</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>The main theoretical benefit of PES is a reduction in lifetime polygenic disease risk for children born after screening. The magnitude of the risk reduction has been predicted based on statistical modelling, simulations, and sibling pair analyses. Results based on all methods suggest that under the best-case scenario, large relative risk reductions are possible for one or more diseases. However, as these models abstract several practical limitations, the realized benefits may be smaller, particularly due to a limited number of embryos and unclear future accuracy of the risk estimates. PES may negatively impact patients and their future children, as well as society. The main personal harms are an unindicated IVF treatment, a possible reduction in IVF success rates, and patient confusion, incomplete counselling, and choice overload. The main p","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":" ","pages":"529-557"},"PeriodicalIF":14.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11369226/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141162915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yican Guo, Liru Xue, Weicheng Tang, Jiaqiang Xiong, Dan Chen, Yun Dai, Chuqing Wu, Simin Wei, Jun Dai, Meng Wu, Shixuan Wang
<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage (CAOD) is one of the most feared short- and long-term side effects of anticancer treatment in premenopausal women. Accumulating detailed data show that different chemotherapy regimens can lead to disturbance of ovarian hormone levels, reduced or lost fertility, and an increased risk of early menopause. Previous studies have often focused on the direct effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on ovarian follicles, such as direct DNA damage-mediated apoptotic death and primordial follicle burnout. Emerging evidence has revealed an imbalance in the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy. The ovarian microenvironment provides nutritional support and transportation of signals that stimulate the growth and development of follicles, ovulation, and corpus luteum formation. The close interaction between the ovarian microenvironment and follicles can determine ovarian function. Therefore, designing novel and precise strategies to manipulate the ovarian microenvironment may be a new strategy to protect ovarian function during chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>This review details the changes that occur in the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy and emphasizes the importance of developing new therapeutics that protect ovarian function by targeting the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>A comprehensive review of the literature was performed by searching PubMed up to April 2024. Search terms included 'ovarian microenvironment' (ovarian extracellular matrix, ovarian stromal cells, ovarian interstitial, ovarian blood vessels, ovarian lymphatic vessels, ovarian macrophages, ovarian lymphocytes, ovarian immune cytokines, ovarian oxidative stress, ovarian reactive oxygen species, ovarian senescence cells, ovarian senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, ovarian oogonial stem cells, ovarian stem cells), terms related to ovarian function (reproductive health, fertility, infertility, fecundity, ovarian reserve, ovarian function, menopause, decreased ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency/failure), and terms related to chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, lfosfamide, chlormethine, chlorambucil, busulfan, melphalan, procarbazine, cisplatin, doxorubicin, carboplatin, taxane, paclitaxel, docetaxel, 5-fluorouraci, vincristine, methotrexate, dactinomycin, bleomycin, mercaptopurine).</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>The ovarian microenvironment shows great changes during chemotherapy, inducing extracellular matrix deposition and stromal fibrosis, angiogenesis disorders, immune microenvironment disturbance, oxidative stress imbalances, ovarian stem cell exhaustion, and cell senescence, thereby lowering the quantity and quality of ovarian follicles. Several methods targeting the ovarian microenvironment have been adopted to prevent and treat CAOD, such as stem cell therapy and the use of free radical scavengers, sen
{"title":"Ovarian microenvironment: challenges and opportunities in protecting against chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage.","authors":"Yican Guo, Liru Xue, Weicheng Tang, Jiaqiang Xiong, Dan Chen, Yun Dai, Chuqing Wu, Simin Wei, Jun Dai, Meng Wu, Shixuan Wang","doi":"10.1093/humupd/dmae020","DOIUrl":"10.1093/humupd/dmae020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chemotherapy-associated ovarian damage (CAOD) is one of the most feared short- and long-term side effects of anticancer treatment in premenopausal women. Accumulating detailed data show that different chemotherapy regimens can lead to disturbance of ovarian hormone levels, reduced or lost fertility, and an increased risk of early menopause. Previous studies have often focused on the direct effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on ovarian follicles, such as direct DNA damage-mediated apoptotic death and primordial follicle burnout. Emerging evidence has revealed an imbalance in the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy. The ovarian microenvironment provides nutritional support and transportation of signals that stimulate the growth and development of follicles, ovulation, and corpus luteum formation. The close interaction between the ovarian microenvironment and follicles can determine ovarian function. Therefore, designing novel and precise strategies to manipulate the ovarian microenvironment may be a new strategy to protect ovarian function during chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Objective and rationale: </strong>This review details the changes that occur in the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy and emphasizes the importance of developing new therapeutics that protect ovarian function by targeting the ovarian microenvironment during chemotherapy.</p><p><strong>Search methods: </strong>A comprehensive review of the literature was performed by searching PubMed up to April 2024. Search terms included 'ovarian microenvironment' (ovarian extracellular matrix, ovarian stromal cells, ovarian interstitial, ovarian blood vessels, ovarian lymphatic vessels, ovarian macrophages, ovarian lymphocytes, ovarian immune cytokines, ovarian oxidative stress, ovarian reactive oxygen species, ovarian senescence cells, ovarian senescence-associated secretory phenotypes, ovarian oogonial stem cells, ovarian stem cells), terms related to ovarian function (reproductive health, fertility, infertility, fecundity, ovarian reserve, ovarian function, menopause, decreased ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency/failure), and terms related to chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, lfosfamide, chlormethine, chlorambucil, busulfan, melphalan, procarbazine, cisplatin, doxorubicin, carboplatin, taxane, paclitaxel, docetaxel, 5-fluorouraci, vincristine, methotrexate, dactinomycin, bleomycin, mercaptopurine).</p><p><strong>Outcomes: </strong>The ovarian microenvironment shows great changes during chemotherapy, inducing extracellular matrix deposition and stromal fibrosis, angiogenesis disorders, immune microenvironment disturbance, oxidative stress imbalances, ovarian stem cell exhaustion, and cell senescence, thereby lowering the quantity and quality of ovarian follicles. Several methods targeting the ovarian microenvironment have been adopted to prevent and treat CAOD, such as stem cell therapy and the use of free radical scavengers, sen","PeriodicalId":55045,"journal":{"name":"Human Reproduction Update","volume":" ","pages":"614-647"},"PeriodicalIF":14.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11369228/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141472813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}