BMC medicine

BackgroundEmbryo implantation failure and early pregnancy loss remain significant challenges in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Lipid peroxidation is known to be involved in reproductive physiology. However, its role during the impl…

BackgroundOver 2.5 million cycles in vitro fertilization (IVF) are conducted annually, and numbers are expected to rise with the aging population. The controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) process, key to IVF success, is inherently complex. …

BackgroundThe ovary is a vital and dynamic reproductive organ. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) plays a vital role in preserving female fertility. However, the cellular subtypes most susceptible to cryoinjury and the molecular mechanis…

BACKGROUND: Reliable non-invasive biomarkers for endometriosis remain unavailable in routine practice, and their translational value depends on performance in symptomatic referral populations rather than only against healthy controls. We ev…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common complex gynecological condition that is difficult to efficiently diagnose and remains poorly understood. Menstrual fluid provides a non-invasive source of disease-relevant tissue and has been identified…

BackgroundAmong women in the UK, over 186,000 new cancer diagnoses and around 78,000 cancer deaths occurred annually from 2017 to 2019. Evidence suggests that pregnancy complications are linked to mortality and morbidity risks in later life…

BackgroundExisting biomarkers for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) have demonstrated limited sensitivity and specificity. This study aimed to investigate plasma protein and metabolite characteristics of EOC and identify novel biomarker candi…

BACKGROUND: Each year, over 700,000 pregnancies occur in the UK, with up to 10% affected by complications such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus. Pregnancy-related complications and reproductive factor…

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) adversely affects human reproduction. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HPV infection in men and its correlation with semen parameters and reproductive outcomes.MethodsIn this prospective observatio…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis (EM) exhibits localised iron overload. However, the contribution of ferroptosis to EM pathogenesis remains unclear. We investigated how iron overload affects CD8⁺ T cell immune function and the underlying ferroptot…

BackgroundEvidence on how policy interventions early in childhood can prevent or delay multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) is limited. We modelled prevention scenarios using five early-life domains on the outcome of MLTCs with role-limita…

BackgroundThis study assessed the impact of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on ovarian reserve in women.MethodsWe analyzed data from 38,861 infertile women undergoing their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment (2016-2022),…

BackgroundMaternal short-term outcomes of postpartum depression (PPD) were widely examined, but little is known about its long-term association with multiple chronic diseases (multimorbidity) in women's later life. This study aims to assess…

BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a debilitating disorder affecting 4-9% of the global population. It is a multifaceted disorder with complex and varied causes. This review aims to consolidate the evidence regarding IBS risk facto…

BackgroundUse of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) continues to increase as the most common mode of oocyte insemination during in vitro fertilisation (IVF), sometimes in the absence of clear indications (i.e. male factor infertility).…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a complex condition with a wide range of comorbidities. It is widely underdiagnosed, with a diagnostic delay of 4 to 10 years, potentially leading to worsened disease progression and a higher burden of comorbidi…

BACKGROUND: Adenomyosis is associated with lower implantation and higher miscarriage rates. Studies on recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and recurrent implantation failure (RIF) have shown that endometrial immune cell populations play a crucia…

BACKGROUND: It has been repeatedly shown that men infected by SARS-CoV-2 face a twofold higher likelihood of dying, being hospitalized or admitted to the intensive care unit compared to women, despite taking into account relevant confounder…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterus, is one of the most prevalent gynecological disorders. Although different theories have been proposed, its pathogenesis is not clear. Novel …

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent, benign condition, affecting 10-15% of women of reproductive age. It is associated with a prevalence of sexual dysfunction that is nearly twice as high as that seen in women with ot…

BackgroundPregnancy is a complex biological process and serious complications can arise when the delicate balance between the maternal and semi-allogeneic fetal immune systems is disrupted or challenged. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM),…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is well known as a chronic inflammatory disease. The development of endometriosis is heavily influenced by the estrogen receptor β (ERβ), while NOD-like receptors (NLRs) family CARD domain-containing 5 (NLRC5) exhi…