The multicentric study regroups 128 cases of the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and 256 selected controls. Values of serum oestradiol obtained from different laboratories were found to be normally distributed after logarithmic transformation. Comparative study of clinical and biological characteristics indicates that among OHSS patients (i) mean age was lower; (ii) tubal indications for IVF were less frequent; (iii) polycystic ovary-like conditions (i.e. hyperandrogenism, anovulation, luteinizing hormone/follicle stimulating hormone ratio > 2) were more frequent. OHSS patients displayed ovarian hypersensitivity reflected by higher oestradiol peak concentrations in response to lower dosage of human menopausal gonadotrophin and by a steeper slope of oestradiol increment during stimulation. In these patients, the collection of greater numbers of fertilizable oocytes allowed replacement of more embryos with a good vitality score. Ongoing pregnancy rate was found to be higher among the OHSS patients. The following complications were recorded among OHSS cases: abdominal fluid at echographic examination or clinical ascites (86.7 and 71.1%, respectively); pleural and pericardial effusion (21 and 3%, respectively); haemoconcentration (71.1%); electrolytic disorders (6.2%). Although significantly different between groups, clinical and biological parameters under study showed considerable overlap of their distributions in control and OHSS cases. Therefore, these data must be submitted to discriminant analysis in order to derive a formula predictive of the risk of OHSS.

The study results showed no statistically significant association between exposure to dioxin-like compounds and the occurrence of endometriosis in infertile women.

There are clear indications that numerous movements are motivated by the wish to evade legal restrictions in one's home country, either because the technology is prohibited or because the patients have characteristics, which exclude them from treatment in their own countries.

No abstract

This study was performed to determine and compare persistent organic pollutant (POP) levels in different matrices in a female population. A total of 96 serum and 46 adipose tissue samples were collected from infertile women (n = 101) attending Centers for Reproductive Medicine in Belgium from 1996 to 1998. Gas chromatography with electron-capture detection was used to quantify residue levels on a lipid basis of seven organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). There was a strong association between adipose tissue and serum residues. The adipose tissue levels of CB-138, 153, 180 and p,p'-DDE were explained by the serum residues. Besides, the accumulation pattern for CB-153 and CB-180 in serum and adipose tissue are mirror images of each other.