Human Reproduction

BACKGROUND: Increased peritoneal eicosanoid concentrations have been reported in endometriosis patients and might be important in disease-associated pain and inflammation. Here, we evaluated the expression of key biosynthetic and catabolic …

BACKGROUND: It is becoming increasingly evident that the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis shows certain genetic alterations which are not found in the endometrium of disease-free women. The aim of the study was to compare the…

BACKGROUND: Follistatin is an activin-binding protein produced by several tissues, including endometrium and endometriotic implants. We aimed to quantify follistatin in patients with ovarian endometriosis and investigate its value as a diag…

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate HOXA-10 expression in endometrium from infertile patients with different forms of endometriosis; with uterine fibromas, or with unexplained infertility and from normal fertile women. MET…

BACKGROUND: Controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) are often used as the first-line treatment for subfertile couples. To minimize the variability in ovarian response in patients' first treatment cycle, we r…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic disease that responds to systemic pseudo-pregnancy therapy. However, side effects limit their long-term use, and recurrence often occurs after cessation of medication. Reducing side effects whereas imp…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrium outside the uterus, is one of the most frequent benign gynaecological diseases. It has been suggested that both endometrial and peritoneal factors, related to angiogenesis an…

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential association of the C627T polymorphism in the interleukin-2 receptor beta gene (IL-2R beta) with the risk of endometriosis in Korean women. METHODS: Two hundred and thir…

BACKGROUND: An association between endometriosis and reduced risk of pre-eclampsia has recently been reported. Longitudinally-linked electronic hospital records are a valuable resource for investigating such findings in a large, population-…

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of bowel endometriosis on fertility, and to study whether its removal improves fecundity in women with endometriosis-associated infertility. METHODS: Three groups of infer…

BACKGROUND: The available data on effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors in treating pain symptoms related to endometriosis is limited. We compared the efficacy and tolerability of the aromatase inhibitor letrozole combined with norethistero…

BACKGROUND: L-selectin ligands, localized to the luminal epithelium at the time of implantation, may support the early stages of blastocyst attachment. We have assessed the expression of two L-selectin ligands, defined by MECA-79 and HECA-4…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition, characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. The immune system provides a defence mechanism in response to foreign pathogens, and macrophages play impor…

BACKGROUND: Rectovaginal endometriosis usually causes distressing pain. Surgical treatment may be effective but is associated with a high risk of morbidity and major complications. Information on the effect of medical alternatives for pain …

BACKGROUND: Although nerve fibres are present in eutopic and ectopic endometrium, it is unclear whether they appear in ovarian endometriotic lesions. We investigated the presence of nerve fibres in ovarian endometriotic lesions and its corr…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common gynaecological disease, but the pathogenesis of endometriosis and pathophysiological basis for endometriosis-associated painful symptoms are still uncertain. Little is known about neuroendocrine (NE) ce…

BACKGROUND: Lack of a non-invasive diagnostic test contributes to the long delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of endometriosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined performance of six potential plasma biomarkers in …

BACKGROUND: This pilot study evaluates the efficacy of norethisterone acetate in treating pain and gastrointestinal symptoms of women with colorectal endometriosis. METHODS: This prospective study included 40 women with colorectal endometr…

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of post-operative oral contraceptives (OCs) use on the rate of recurrence after laparoscopic excision of ovarian endometrioma. METHODS: In May 2005, we introduced a 'post-operati…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis recurrence after conservative surgery is not infrequent. Variable regimens of hormonal therapy have been proposed as adjuvant post-operative measures for prophylaxis against recurrence. Among these, the combined or…

BACKGROUND: Obstetric haemorrhages have been reported to be increased after assisted reproduction technologies (ART) but the mechanisms involved are unclear. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study compared the prevalence of antepartum ha…

BACKGROUND: Although previous epidemiological studies have shown that women with endometriosis are more likely to be thinner and underweight, it is currently not clear whether this is a true characteristic of women who develop endometriosis…

Endometriosis is characterized by presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Prevalence is estimated at 6-10% in the general female population and many patients experience pain and/or infertility. Diagnosis is achieved by laparoscop…

BACKGROUND: There is a perception that the prevalence of infertility is on the rise. This study aimed to determine the current prevalence of infertility in a defined geographical population, ascertain changes in self-reported infertility ov…