January 2022 JC

January Journal Club: Unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss and unexplained infertility

“Is B-cell CLL/lymphoma 6 (BCL6) endometrial expression, a surrogate biomarker of endometriosis, elevated in women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (uRPL) and unexplained infertility (UI) compared to fertile subjects?”. What could this study suggest for potential treatment and future investigations for recurrent miscarriage and unexplained pregnancy loss? Review the findings of this study in the IIRRM Journal club with Dr. Joe Stanford.

April Journal Club: Treatment-independent live birth after in-vitro fertilisation: a retrospective cohort study of 2,133 women

Dr. Joseph Stanford reviews a study, published in Human Reproduction, which found 1 in 6 women to have an unassisted live birth after IVF. All women, who attended the Aberdeen Fertility Clinic and received IVF treatment between 1998 and 2011 (2133) were followed up followed over 5 years of follow-up, the treatment-independent live birth rate was 17% in unsuccessfully treated women and 15% in those who had a live birth after IVF.

Research Updates: Endometriosis Severity and Pregnancy Complications: Findings from the ENDO Study

Learn how endometriosis, in both an operative and population cohort, is associated with pregnancy complications (including early pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancies, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, small-for-gestational age, and preterm birth). The ENDO Study is a collaborative epidemiologic study whose goal is to assess the relation between exposure to environmental chemicals and lifestyle factors that may affect womens reproductive health. Particular focus will be on the relation between hormonally active chemicals and risk of developing endometriosis considering womens lifestyles.

Restorative Reproduction with NeoFertility

This conference introduces a standardized and scientific medical approach to the treatment and restoration of women’s reproductive health conditions and fertility/subfertility. It explores the new Neo App, experiences from NeoFertility advisors and physicians from different countries, and looked at case studies.

Neo Fertility was based and developed in Dublin, Ireland, and is a new approach to gynecological health and fertility. A combination of fertility indicators such as temperature, mucus, and bleeding are used as well as hormone tracking medication, surgery and lifestyle changes to improve women’s reproductive health and fertility. A standardized and scientific medical approach is used to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of women experiencing premenstrual symptoms, endometriosis, PCOS, PMDD, and infertility/sub-fertility.

Grand Rounds: Multifactorial Fertility Treatment

Dr. Phil Boyle, founder and director of Neo Fertility Clinic, and IIRRM President, has over 20 years clinical experience with sub-fertility, with over 3000 successful pregnancies, many after years of infertility, previous failed IVF and repeated miscarriage.  This webinar focuses provides an overview and examples of the multifactorial approach to infertility including implications for ongoing medical management, and the success of sustained interventions over time.

Journal Club: The Effect of Intravenous immunoglobulin on Th1 and Th2 lymphocytes and improvement of pregnancy outcome in recurrent pregnancy loss

Women with elevated natural killer (NK) cell frequency and function during pregnancy, suffer from recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). In the present study, the possible effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) administration on Th1 and Th2 cell frequency, cytokine secretion, and expression of transcription factors is compared between RPL patients and control group. This article is explored in this months Journal Club.

Grand Rounds: HSG and Lipiodol

This Grand Rounds Dr Neil Johnson explores the use of HSG with Lipiodol which has shown fertility benefit particularly in endometriosis patients. Minimally-invasive and well tolerated by women the outcomes of a recent multi-centre randomized controlled trial was also published and presented last year at the WCE2017 (World Congress on Endometriosis).