• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2000

Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the viability of germ cells from the adult and fetal ovarian tissues after vitrification followed by xenografting. Method: The human adult ovarian tissues were obtained from 33 years old patient, and the fetal ovarian tissues were obtained from 22 weeks and 25 weeks in gestation. Ovarian tissues were cryopreserved by vitrification with 5.5 M ethylene glycol (EG 5.5) and 1.0 M sucrose as cryoprotectants. Adult and fetal ovarian tissues were pre-equilibrated with EG 5.5 at room temperature for 10 and 5 minutes, respectively and plunged into liquid nitrogen immediately. Frozen-thawed tissues were xenografted into NOD-SCID mice to evaluate the viability and capacity for further growth of the primordial follicles. Grafts were recovered from the recipients 4 weeks after transplantation and histological analysis was accomplished. Result and Conclusion: Grafts recovered 4 weeks after transplantation contained less number of oocytes and primordial follicles compared to that of the fresh tissues. Survived follicles were mainly primordial and intermediary with larger diameter and more granulosa cells. It is confirmed that 1) the ovarian tissues were healthy and the germ cells were survived after vitrification, and 2) the survived fetal primordial follicles after vitrification resumed the growth in the xenografts.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2020

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease in women of reproductive age and is one of the major causes of infertility. Endometriosis causes a sustained reduction of ovarian reserve through both physical mechanisms and inflammatory reactions, which result in the production of reactive oxygen species and tissue fibrosis. The severity of endometriosis is related to ovarian reserve. With regard to infertility treatment, medical therapy as a neoadjuvant or adjuvant to surgical therapy has no definite beneficial effect. Surgical treatment of endometriosis can lead to ovarian injury during the resection of endometriotic tissue, which leads to the deterioration of ovarian reserve. To overcome this disadvantage, a multistep technique has been proposed to minimize the reduction of ovarian reserve. When considering surgical treatment of endometriosis in patients experiencing infertility, it should be kept in mind that ovarian reserve can be reduced both due to endometriosis itself and by the process of removing endometriosis. In cases of mild- to moderate-stage endometriosis, intrauterine insemination with ovarian stimulation after surgical treatment may increase the likelihood of pregnancy. In cases of severe endometriosis, the characteristics of the patient should be considered in a multidisciplinary manner to determine the prioritization of treatment modalities, including surgical treatment and assisted reproduction methods such as in vitro fertilization. The risk of cancer, complications after pregnancy, and infection during oocyte retrieval should also be considered when making treatment decisions.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.100-104
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• 2008

Ovarian cysts are the most common cystic abdominal masses in female newborns. It is believed to be derived from an overstimulation of the ovarian follicles by maternal, placental, and fetal hormones. Although most ovarian cysts resolve spontaneously, surgical management is mandatory for life-threatening, complicated cases, including torsion, intracystic hemorrhage, and rupture of the cyst. Rupture of ovarian cysts is thought to be exceedingly rare, but can lead to severe hemorrhagic ascites or peritonitis. We managed a case of a ruptured ovarian cyst in a female newborn who presented with mild abdominal distension and two episodes of gross hematuria. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a right ovarian cyst with torsion and rupture. She was successfully treated with a right salpingo- oophorectomy with no sequelae.

• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.90.1-90.12
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• 2018

Objective: We performed small-scale mutation and large genomic rearrangement (LGR) analysis of BRCA1/2 in ovarian cancer patients to determine the prevalence and the characteristics of the mutations. Methods: All ovarian cancer patients who visited a single institution between September 2015 and April 2017 were included. Sanger sequencing, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), and long-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed to comprehensively study BRCA1/2. The genetic risk models BRCAPRO, Myriad, and BOADICEA were used to evaluate the mutation analysis. Results: In total, 131 patients were enrolled. Of the 131 patients, Sanger sequencing identified 16 different BRCA1/2 small-scale mutations in 20 patients (15.3%). Two novel nonsense mutations were detected in 2 patients with a serous borderline tumor and a large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. MLPA analysis of BRCA1/2 in Sanger-negative patients revealed 2 LGRs. The LGRs accounted for 14.3% of all identified BRCA1 mutations, and the prevalence of LGRs identified in this study was 1.8% in 111 Sanger-negative patients. The genetic risk models showed statistically significant differences between mutation carriers and non-carriers. The 2 patients with LGRs had at least one blood relative with breast or ovarian cancer. Conclusion: Twenty-two (16.8%) of the unselected ovarian cancer patients had BRCA1/2 mutations that were detected through comprehensive BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Ovarian cancer patients with Sanger-negative results should be considered for LGR detection if they have one blood relative with breast or ovarian cancer. The detection of more BRCA1/2 mutations in patients is important for efforts to provide targeted therapy to ovarian cancer patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2022

Background: Texture analysis has been used as a method for quantifying image properties based on textural features. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) texture analysis for the evaluation of viable ovarian tissue on the perfusion map of ovarian endometriosis. Methods: To generate a normalized perfusion map, subtracted T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), T1WI and contrast-enhanced T1W1 with sequences were performed using the same parameters in 25 patients with surgically confirmed ovarian endometriosis. Integrated density is defined as the sum of the values of the pixels in the image or selection. We investigated the parameters for texture analysis in ovarian endometriosis, including angular second moment (ASM), contrast, correlation, inverse difference moment (IDM), and entropy, which is equivalent to the product of area and mean gray value. Results: The perfusion ratio and integrated density of normal ovary were 0.52±0.05 and 238.72±136.21, respectively. Compared with the normal ovary, the affected ovary showed significant differences in total size (p<0.001), fractional area ratio (p<0.001), and perfusion ratio (p=0.010) but no significant differences in perfused tissue area (p=0.158) and integrated density (p=0.112). In comparison of parameters for texture analysis between the ovary with endometriosis and the contralateral normal ovary, ASM (p=0.004), contrast (p=0.002), IDM (p<0.001), and entropy (p=0.028) showed significant differences. A linear regression analysis revealed that fractional area had significant correlations with ASM (r²=0.211), IDM (r²=0.332), and entropy (r²=0.289). Conclusion: MRI texture analysis could be useful for the evaluation of viable ovarian tissues in patients with ovarian endometriosis.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.227-234
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• 2023

It has been addressed that heat stress due to high atmospheric temperature during summer in Korea induces impaired release of reproductive hormones, followed by occurring abnormal ovarian cyclicity, lower pregnancy ratio, and reduced litter size. Therefore, the present study attempted to compare seasonal change (spring versus summer) of the ovarian aromatase expression, an enzyme for converting testosterone into estrogen. While serum estrogen level in summer group was significantly lower than that of spring group, testosterone was not different between groups. Consistent with estrogen level, the ovarian aromatase expression in summer at follicular phase was significantly lower than the counterpart of spring. The ovarian aromatase expression was positively related with serum estrogen level significantly (r=0.689; P=0.008) and strongly negative correlation was identified (r=-0.533; P=0.078) with atmospheric temperature. The ovarian aromatase expression was not detected in immature ovarian follicles but specifically localized in the granulosa cell layers in both seasons. However, the aromatase intensity in the granulosa cell layers was stronger in spring than summer. Because testosterone level was not different between groups, it could be concluded that the lower level of estrogen during summer might be derived by not lack of substrate but lower expression of ovarian aromatase by heat stress.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.292-298
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• 2023

Objective: Ovarian torsion is a gynecological disorder that causes ischemia-reperfusion injuries in the ovary. Our study investigated berberine's short- and long-term effects on ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Methods: This study included 28 Wistar albino female rats weighing 180 to 220 g, which were divided into four groups: sham (S), torsion/detorsion (T/D), torsion/ detorsion+single dose berberine (T/D+Bb), and torsion/detorsion+15 days berberine (T/D+15Bb). The torsion and detorsion model was applied in all non-sham groups. In the T/D+Bb group, a single dose of berberine was administered, while in the T/D+15Bb group, berberine was administered over a period of 15 days. After the rats were euthanized, their ovaries were excised. The left ovaries were used for histopathologic evaluation, which included ovarian injury scoring and follicle count, while the right ovaries were used for biochemical analyses (tissue transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β] and alpha-smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] levels). Results: The histopathologic evaluation scores for the ovaries were significantly lower in the T/D+B group (p<0.05) and the T/D+15B group (p<0.005) than in the T/D group. The follicle counts in the T/D group were lower than those in both the sham and treated groups (p<0.005). The TGF-β levels were significantly lower in the T/D+15B group (p<0.005), whereas the α-SMA levels did not show a significant difference. Conclusion: Both short- and long-term berberine use could potentially have therapeutic effects on ovarian torsion. Long-term berberine use exhibited anti-inflammatory effects by reducing TGF-β levels, thereby preventing ischemia-reperfusion injuries. Therefore, we suggest that long-term berberine use could be beneficial for ovarian torsion.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.155-162
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• 2008

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the change of ovarian reserve after removal of ovarian tumor using basal FSH, $E_2$, clomiphene citrate challenge test and ovarian volume. Methods: Twenty two patients with unilateral ovarian tumor, ${\leq}35$ years old, regular menstrual cycle were collected prospectively and divided into endometrioma or non-endometrioma group. We measured the ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasonography on the day 3 of menstrual cycle within one month before and 3 months after surgery. Basal (cycle day 3) FSH, $E_2$ and CCCT were checked before surgery and repeated at least 2 spontaneous cycles later after surgery. Three patients that had been pregnant within 3 months after surgery were excluded in analysis. Results: The ovarian volume was reduced significantly after surgery in endometrioma and non-endometrioma ${\geq}10\;cm$ group ($4.79{\pm}2.57\;cm^3$ and $5.21{\pm}1.33\;cm^3$, respectively), but not in the non-endometrioma <10 cm group ($6.18{\pm}2.85\;cm^3$). After surgery, basal FSH and cycle day 10 FSH on CCCT in endometrioma and non-endometrioma were $4.25{\pm}0.20\;mIU/ml$ and $3.79{\pm}0.80\;mIU/ml$, $4.24{\pm}0.85\;mIU/ml$ and $4.28{\pm}0.92\;mIU/ml$, respectively. There were neither significant difference in comparison with the preoperative results nor between two groups. Conclusions: Enucleation of ovarian mass was associated with a significant reduction in ovarian volume in endometrioma and non-endometrioma larger than 10cm in diameter. Hormonal markers for evaluation of ovarian reserve, such as basal and cycle day 10 FSH on CCCT, were not changed significantly in each group. In reproductive age women, conservative enucleation or cystectomy rather than oophorectomy should be considered even in a large benign tumor and ovarian function could be reserved by meticulous operative technique.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.56-59
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• 2004

Ovarian cyst is found in 32% of necropsies in neonates, and can be visualized during gestation by ultrasonography. The clinical evolution of these Cysts is variable, but in most cases the prognosis is favorable. Ovarian torsion, bleeding, rupture, and peritonitis have been described as complications. We report a newborn girl with torsion of ovarian cyst. A cystic mass measuring $41.9{\times}31.9mm$ on left side of abdomen was identified at 32 weeks of gestation by fetal ultrasonography. Surgery was performed after birth.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2005

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of metformin and rosiglitazone in overweight or obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Methods: Twenty Six overweight or obese patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome were randomly treated with either metformin (500 mg three times daily, n=13) or rosiglitazone (4 mg once daily, n=13) for 6 months. Hormonal studies were performed before and after treatment. Insulin resistances were calculated by computerized HOMA 2 Calculator v2.2. Results: Testosterone decreased while SHBG increased after 6 months treatment in both metformin and rosiglitazone treatment groups. Fasting glucose decreased after metformin or rosiglitazone treatment. HOMA insulin resistance improved after treatment with either drug. There was no differences in hormonal changes and insulin resistance between 2 treatment groups. Conclusions: This study shows that metformin and rosiglitazone are effective in improving insulin sensitivity and ameliorating hyperandrogenism in overweight/obese polycystic ovarian syndrome women.