Anne Z. Steiner

CONTEXT: Low vitamin D levels have been associated with female infertility, but the underlying mechanisms are not understood. OBJECTIVES: To examine vitamin D treatment, in vitro and in vivo, on human endometrial stromal cell (eSC) decidua…

BACKGROUND: While there is evidence that vitamin D deficiency is associated with long menstrual cycles, delayed ovulation, and reduced fertility, it is yet unknown if increasing vitamin D levels can regulate menstrual cycles, and thus possi…

INTRODUCTION: Inflammation is a marker of immune activation. Inflammation may have an effect on both ovarian function and luteal function, both essential to pregnancy. High inflammation may also signal dysregulated processes within the ovar…

ObjectiveTo determine the association between ovarian reserve biomarkers and future fertility among late reproductive-age women.DesignCohort study of participants enrolled in Time to Conceive (TTC), a time-to-pregnancy cohort study of the o…

BackgroundLocal inflammation plays an important role in normal folliculogenesis and ovulation, and conditions of chronic systemic inflammation, such as obesity and polycystic ovarian syndrome, can disrupt normal follicular dynamics.Objectiv…

BackgroundInflammation may contribute to subfertility but this has not been well-explored in large prospective cohort studies.MethodsWe conducted a prospective 12-month cohort study of time to pregnancy in North Carolina, the Time to Concei…

Study questionIs preconception vitamin D level associated with the risk of miscarriage?Summary answerPreconception vitamin D levels are not associated with the risk of miscarriage in a population of women conceiving naturally.What is known …

ContextWhile age-related changes in menstrual cycle length are well known, it is unclear whether anti-Müllerian (AMH) or other ovarian reserve biomarkers have a direct association with cycle length.ObjectiveTo determine the association betw…

BackgroundStudies investigating the effects of pain-relieving medication use on conceiving a pregnancy have shown conflicting results. Furthermore, no previous study has examined medication use around ovulation or implantation and the assoc…

Study questionIs pre-conception 25(OH)D associated with the per cycle probability of conception, i.e fecundability, in a prospective cohort study?Summary answerThere are suggestive associations of high 25(OH)D (at least 50 ng/ml) with incre…

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to examine the associations between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and biomarkers of ovarian reserve in a large community-based sample of women.MethodsIn 2010 to 2016, women aged 30 to 44 years without any k…

BackgroundVitamin D insufficiency is associated with subfertility and prolonged estrus cycles in animals, but humans have not been well studied.MethodsA prospective time-to-pregnancy study, Time to Conceive (2010-2015), collected up to 4 mo…

ObjectiveTo determine the association between antimüllerian hormone (AMH), a measure of ovarian reserve, and miscarriage among naturally conceived pregnancies.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingNot applicable.Patient(s)Women (n = 533), b…

ImportanceDespite lack of evidence of their utility, biomarkers of ovarian reserve are being promoted as potential markers of reproductive potential.ObjectiveTo determine the associations between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and reproducti…

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) can act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals, but there has been limited study of their effects on ovarian reserve or fecundability. 99 women, 30-44 years old, without infertility were followed until pregnancy. …

The aim of this study is to report a case of acute ureterovaginal fistula (UVF) formation with immediate symptomatic presentation after transvaginal ultrasound-guided oocyte retrieval (TVOR) for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to perform a…

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of a short luteal phase on fecundity.DesignProspective time-to-pregnancy cohort study.SettingNot applicable.Patient(s)Women trying to conceive, ages 30-44 years, without known infertility.Intervention(s)Daily…

OBJECTIVE: To provide female age-related estimates of fecundity and incidence of infertility by history of prior pregnancy among women 30-44 years of age. DESIGN: Prospective, time-to-pregnancy cohort study. SETTING: Not applicable. PATI…

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of an episode of intermenstrual bleeding on the probability of conception in a menstrual cycle (fecundability).DesignProspective, time-to-pregnancy cohort study.SettingCommunity-based cohort.Patient(s)Women t…

BackgroundInformation on the effects of different pharmaceuticals on fertility is sparse. Human and animal models indicate that antidepressant use could have a negative effect on fertility through alteration of levels of the neurosteroid, a…

ObjectiveTo determine the impact of sexual intercourse around the time of implantation on the probability of achieving a pregnancy.DesignTime-to-pregnancy cohort using day-specific probability of pregnancy modeling to account for intercours…

ObjectiveTo assess the use of cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) in women trying to conceive and determine whether monitoring is associated with increased cycle-specific probability of conception (fecundability).DesignTime-to-pregnancy cohort …

ObjectiveTo examine the short-term effects of salpingectomy during laparoscopic hysterectomy on ovarian reserve when ovarian preservation is planned in view of determining the feasibility of conducting the study on a larger scale.DesignPilo…

High serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels have been associated with diminished ovarian reserve; however, the association between high urinary FSH and reduced natural fertility has yet to be established. We sought to characterize …

ObjectiveOver-the-counter vaginal lubricants have been shown to negatively affect in vitro sperm motility. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of vaginal lubricant use during procreative intercourse on natural fertility.M…