Frontiers in endocrinology

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the evidence on the contraceptive efficacy, cycle control, safety, and selected noncontraceptive effects of estetrol 15 mg/drospirenone 3 mg (E4/DRSP) and to assess certainty of evidence by outcome usin…

IMPORTANCE: Female infertility affects approximately one in six couples worldwide and disproportionately impacts women aged 30-42 years, yet evidence on which interventions improve clinically meaningful outcomes (live birth and safety) is h…

INTRODUCTION: Anogenital distance (AGD) and penile length (PL) are considered as surrogate biomarkers of fetal androgen action and are used to study the impact of prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals. Data for newborn sex-spe…

BACKGROUNDS: Abnormal cleavage (ABNCL) in early human embryos is a frequent phenomenon associated with impaired developmental competence and reduced reproductive potential. However, the clinical determinants of ABNCL and its subtypes remain…

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by altered follicular development and metabolic dysfunction, frequently exacerbated by obesity. The follicular fluid (FF) microenvironment plays a critical role in supporting ooc…

INTRODUCTION: PCOS is the most common disorder encompassing reproductive, metabolic, and endocrine abnormalities, and has an increased risk of adverse pregnancy and neonatal complications, such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes mellitus,…

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant complication during pregnancy with varying prevalence across countries and ethnicities. In Taiwan, although GDM prevalence rose from 7.6% to 13.4% between 2004 and 2015, its m…

OBJECTIVE: The Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation (PPOS) protocol with a freeze-all strategy is increasingly used for diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) patients. While growth hormone (GH) and Kuntai capsule are proposed adjuvants, their ef…

BACKGROUND: The endometrial preparation of frozen embryo transfer cycle is to synchronize of endometrium and embryo under the condition of exogenous estrogen and progesterone drugs in HRT or follicle monitoring in NC. Estrogen and progester…

This study aimed to investigate how levels of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on Day 7 of ovarian stimulation are related to the number of oocytes retrieved, and identify any cutoff or threshold point in protocols using gonadotropi…

BACKGROUND: Adenomyosis (AM) is described as a benign invasion of the endometrium into the myometrium, which impacts a large number of childbearing age women. The diagnosis of AM relies on imaging and histological examinations. Although car…

INTRODUCTION: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a multisystem endocrine and metabolic disease characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, ovulatory dysfunction, hyperandrogenism, and insulin resistance. Chronic inflammation modifies …

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a multifactorial disorder characterized by the progressive decline of ovarian function, in which autoimmune factors account for approximately 10%-30% of cases. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that i…

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with clinical pregnancy and live birth in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles among women with adenomyosis and to develop internally validated prediction models using readily available clinical, lab…

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of Day-3 embryo cell number on pregnancy, obstetric, and perinatal outcomes after frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfer (SBT).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 6437 frozen-thawed SBT cycles p…

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of three endometrial preparation protocols-hormone replacement therapy (HRT), natural cycle (NC), and down-regulation HRT-on pregnancy outcomes in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles among patients with …

BACKGROUND: The optimal luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration on the day of hCG trigger during long-protocol IVF/ICSI remains uncertain. Although some studies associate profound LH suppression with impaired reproductive outcomes, others re…

BACKGROUND: Endometrial receptivity in hormone replacement therapy-frozen embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles depends on a precisely coordinated estradiol-progesterone environment. An imbalance between estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) befor…

PURPOSE: This study aims to compare the live birth rate (LBR) and reproductive outcomes between gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist (GnRH-ant) and progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocols in infertile women of advanced re…

BACKGROUND: Low-level sex chromosome mosaicism (SCM; abnormal cell proportion <10%) is frequently detected during preconception karyotype screening, yet its clinical relevance in assisted reproductive technology (ART) remains controversial.…

INTRODUCTION: The influence of physical activity on outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) remains incompletely understood, with conflicting evidence regarding the impact of exercise intensity and frequency. This study aimed to …

PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of storage duration after vitrification of cleavage-stage embryos on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 4205 infertile patients underwent frozen-thawed embry…

INTRODUCTION: Luteinizing hormone (LH) is critical for follicular development and IVF pregnancy outcomes, but evidence linking trigger-day serum LH levels to IVF-ET outcomes in overweight patients is scarce. This study investigated the impa…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced rapidly across medicine, and IVF-with its image-rich laboratory workflows, structured cycle data, and measurable endpoints-is among the most amenable fields for integration. Three applications-outco…

INTRODUCTION: A growing body of evidence suggests that women with endometriosis and adenomyosis are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Many of these complications are associated with increased blood loss.…