Tamoxifen is Better than Low-Dose Clomiphene or Gonadotropins in Women with Thin Endometrium (<7 mm) after Clomiphene in Intrauterine Insemination Cycles: A Prospective Study

Serum Zinc Levels in Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome are Lower as Compared to Those without Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A Cohort Study

Dhar S et al., 2024·Journal of human reproductive sciences

Zinc is an essential micronutrient, a vital stabiliser and a cofactor in many enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and phospholipase C and also acts as an antioxidant by protecting the sulfhydryl groups of different proteins and enzymes against free radicals. It is unclear if serum zinc levels are correlated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its pathophysiology, although relation between diabetes and insulin resistance has been established. This study aimed to investigate circulating serum zinc levels in PCOS subjects compared with non-PCOS subjects. In this cohort study, PCOS subjects were compared with normal subjects aged between 18 and 35. All the included subjects underwent measurement of anthropometric parameters, fasting insulin, luteinising hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, progesterone, oestrogen and serum zinc levels. These values were taken on days 2-5 of the menstrual cycle. Univariate analysis and linear regression were performed for serum zinc levels and fasting insulin levels in PCOS subjects and non-PCOS subjects using SPSS (version 21) and Microsoft Excel (2019). Serum zinc levels in the PCOS group were lower than in the control group (P = 0.012). Fasting insulin levels in the PCOS group were higher than in non-PCOS subjects (P = 0.001). We found a negative correlation between zinc and fasting insulin (r = -0.580, P < 0.0001) in the normal group and (r = -0.332, P = 0.019) in the PCOS group. A positive correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) and fasting insulin levels in both the PCOS group (r = 0.227, P = 0.112) and normals (r = 0.612, P < 0.0001). A negative statistically significant correlation between BMI and zinc in both the PCOS group (r = -0.378, P = 0.007) and the non-PCOS group (r = -0.7452, P < 0.0001) was seen. The data suggest that serum zinc levels were found to be lower in PCOS subjects as compared to normal controls and evaluation of these levels may indicate that zinc has a vital role in PCOS pathophysiology.

The Prevalence of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Brief Systematic Review

Deswal R et al., 2021·J Hum Reprod Sci

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the major endocrinopathy among reproductive-aged women, is not yet perceived as an important health problem in the world. It affects 4%-20% of women of reproductive age worldwide. The prevalence, diagnosis, etiology, management, clinical practices, psychological issues, and prevention are some of the most confusing aspects associated with PCOS. The exact prevalence figures regarding PCOS are limited and unclear. The aim of this review is to summarize comprehensively the current knowledge on the prevalence of PCOS. Literature search was performed through PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar (up to December 2019). All relevant articles published in English language were identified following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Our analysis yielded 27 surveys with a pooled mean prevalence of 21.27% using different diagnostic criteria. The proportion of women with PCOS also increased in the last decade. The current review summarizes and interprets the results of all published prevalence studies and highlights the burden of the syndrome, thereby supporting early identification and prevention of PCOS in order to reverse the persistent upward trend of prevalence.

Mitochondrial function in oocytes and early embryos

Eftekhar M et al., 2019·Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences

Trends of male factor infertility, an important cause of infertility: A review of literature

Kumar N et al., 2015·Journal of human reproductive sciences

Infertility and problems of impaired fecundity have been a concern through ages and is also a significant clinical problem today, which affects 8-12% of couples worldwide. Of all infertility cases, approximately 40-50% is due to "male factor" infertility and as many as 2% of all men will exhibit suboptimal sperm parameters. It may be one or a combination of low sperm concentration, poor sperm motility, or abnormal morphology. The rates of infertility in less industrialized nations are markedly higher and infectious diseases are responsible for a greater proportion of infertility. The present literature will help in knowing the trends of male factor infertility in developing nations like India and to find out in future, various factors that may be responsible for male infertility.