The mortality rate in HEV [corrected] infected mothers was 100%. Mother to child transmission of hepatitis E virus infection was established in 50%.

Purpose Standard semen parameters are poor predictors of fertility potential. To date, apart from, paternal karyotyping sperm factors are not evaluated in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), only recent studies have emphasized the role of sperm factors in early embryonic development as sperm transcribes genes critical for early embryonic development. Sperm DNA integrity is useful diagnostic and prognostic marker and has clinical implications in idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (iRPL) following spontaneous conception. The aim of this study was to assess DNA integrity in cases experiencing iRPL following spontaneous conception. Methods Semen samples from 45 patients and 20 controls were analyzed as per WHO 1999 guidelines and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) was used to measure DNA fragmentation index (DFI). Results By applying receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis, sperm DFI of approximately 26 % was found in male partner of couples experiencing iRPL. Conclusions Our data indicate that sperm from men with a history of iRPL have a higher percentage of DNA damage as compared to control group, and this can explain pregnancy loss in these patients. Men with higher DFI are infertile whereas men with lower DFI (26 %) are able to conceive but experience recurrent pregnancy loss. Thus it is important to evaluate sperm DFI in couples experiencing iRPL to understand exact aetiology of RPL and determine prognosis and management.

The results show that patients with NCPH have normal fertility, no apparent increase in the incidence of hematemesis during pregnancy, an increased incidence of SGA babies and no indication for elective Cesarean delivery.

Other than chromosomal anomalies, sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal OS may be the underlying pathology in RSA, thus screening for seminal ROS levels and DNA fragmentation has diagnostic and prognostic capabilities.

Purpose Telomere length plays a significant role in various disorders; however, its role in idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (iRPL) is not known. The objective of this study was to assess telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes in couples experiencing unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (iRPL). Methods The study included 25 couples experiencing iRPL and 20 controls. The mean relative telomere length was measured by quantitative Real Time PCR (Q-PCR) based assay, which measures the average ratio of telomere repeat copy number to a single copy gene (36B4) copy number (T/S ratio) in each sample. Results The relative leukocyte mean telomere length (T/S) in both men and women from iRPL group was significantly lower (p<0.05) when compared to controls. A significant (P<0.05) negative correlation was found between age and leukocyte telomere length (T/S ratio). Among the sperm parameters seminal volume was found to be negatively (r = −0.4679) associated with the telomere T/S ratio. The DNA fragmentation index of sperm showed positive correlation (r=0.4744) with telomere length. In this preliminary study, we found that shorter telomere length in both men and women may be associated with early pregnancy loss. Conclusion In conclusion, shorter telomere length in both male and female partners appears to play a role in the idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss. Loss of telomeric DNA due to oxidative stress needs further analysis. Analysis of telomere length in germ cells are needed to further substantiate the findings of this study.