The Contribution of Proteomics in Understanding Endometrial Protein Expression in Women with Recurrent Implantation Failure.

Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) poses a significant challenge in assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. The endometrium plays a crucial role in embryo implantation, and its protein expression profile is integral in determining receptivity. Proteomics has emerged as a valuable tool in unraveling the molecular intricacies underlying endometrial receptivity and RIF. The aim of the present review is to analyze the contribution of proteomics to the understanding of endometrial protein expression in women with RIF, based on the results of significant proteomic studies. Medline/Pubmed databases were searched using keywords pertaining to proteomics combined with terms related to RIF. 15 studies were included in the present review. Several proteins have been found to exbibit differential expression in endometrial biopsies and fluid samples between fertile women and women with RIF during the receptive endometrial phase. The profile of endometrial proteins varied significantly among the studies. Nevertheless, similar changes in the expression levels of annexin-6, progesterone receptor, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in the endometrium of women with RIF, were found in more than one study indicating that certain proteins could potentially be effective biomarkers of endometrial receptivity. Proteomics contributes significantly to the understanding of protein expression in the endometrium of women with RIF and the analysis of proteins in endometrial fluid are promising for improving the clinical management of RIF.

Detection of GSTM1-null Genotype in Women Undergoing IVF Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1 belongs to a family of detoxification enzymes and deficiency in enzyme activity is due to a homozygous deletion of the GSTM1 gene. Several studies reveal a possible correlation between female infertility and GSTM1 polymorphisms. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the GSTM1-null polymorphism in female infertility as well as in IVF parameters. METHODS: In the study group 125 women were classified as infertile according to WHO and 49 women with at least one successful pregnancy and no miscarriages, as control group. Genomic DNA from blood samples was isolated and PCR amplification was applied to determine the presence of GSTM1-null genotype. RESULTS: Data analysis demonstrated a statistically significant higher presence of GSTM1-null variant in the infertile group compared to the control group. In a subgroup analysis of the infertile group, the estradiol levels, the number of fertilized oocytes as well as the number and the quality of the cumulus-oocyte complex, were statistically significant higher in women detected with the wildtype of GSTM1 gene compared to those who had the GSTM1 null genotype (deletion). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results propose a possible involvement of GMST1 in female infertility and may help elucidate possible interactions between the microenvironment of oocytes and the oxidative stress.

Association between COVID-19 Infection and Miscarriages, What We Really Know?

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a modern worldwide pandemic that affected and continues to affect millions of people around the world. Since the discovery that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the binding site for COVID-19 to achieve cell entry, there has been a continuous debate about the effect of COVID-19 infection in first and second trimester abortions. The aim of this review is to investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection on the incidence of miscarriage. Furthermore, we seek to identify potential pathophysiological mechanisms of early pregnancy loss present in infected women. METHODS: A literature review was conducted on different databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Ovid, Science Direct, Scopus, and Cochrane library, between 1 January 2020 and 31 August 2023. A total of 364 articles were identified and 32 articles were ultimately included in the review. RESULTS: There are several case studies that provide evidence that early pregnancy loss is associated with COVID-19 infection. These findings are not further confirmed by the majority of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which demonstrate that the total number of miscarriages do not differ significantly between infected and non-infected groups. Furthermore, there are also case reports that associate COVID-19 infection with late second trimester abortions. CONCLUSIONS: Given that the virus persists globally, it is important to gain a better understanding of its associated risks in the reproductive process, and larger, more homogeneous, and controlled studies are required to obtain more robust data that can be meta-analyzed to obtain an overview of this potential relationship.

Colovaginal and colo-ovarian fistula at a patient with asymptomatic diverticular disease.

Colovaginal and colo-ovarian fistulas are rare entities that could be attributed to diverticular disease after an episode of acute diverticulitis. Τhey could initially be manifested with symptoms that lead patients to the gynecologist. Gynecologists should consider them in the differential diagnosis, especially after recurrent episodes of sinusitis. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with a colovaginal and a colo-ovarian fistula due to subclinical diverticular disease, which should be involved in the differential diagnosis in those complicated fistulas, even if the patient had never before a clinical episode of acute diverticulitis or known diverticular disease, and a successful surgical approach.