• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.52-55
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• 2017

The aim of this study was to report a successful pregnancy using completely immotile frozen-thawed spermatozoa selected by laser. A single laser shot was used to detect the presence of viable immotile spermatozoa in fresh and frozen-thawed testicular spermatozoa. The viability rate was 55.8% after the laser detection, and cryopreservation was carried out immediately. The thawing test was performed on the day of oocyte pick-up, and no motile sperm were observed after extending the culture for another 4 hours, while a survival rate of 39.8% was detected using the laser. In all, five mature oocytes were injected, resulting in four cases of normal fertilization (80%) on day 1. Further, two high-quality day 3 embryos were transferred, which resulted in a singleton pregnancy. Our study demonstrates that completely immotile spermatozoa are worth cryopreserving for further intracytoplasmic sperm injection, which provides a new insight into male fertility preservation in cases of completely immotile spermatozoa.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.304-306
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• 2017

A 3-year-old Thoroughbred mare was referred to J&C Equine Hospital with gestation day 30 twin pregnancy. On transrectal ultrasonographic examination, two similar sized (28 mm) embryonic vesicles, unilaterally fixed in the uterine horn, were detected. Transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration (TUGA) was performed for reduction of one embryonic vesicle. Yolk sac and allantoic cavity fluids from one embryonic vesicle were aspirated by a needle guided by using transvaginal ultrasound. The mare continued normal singleton pregnancy after twin reduction and delivered a foal successfully. This is the first case described the clinical use of TUGA in Korea. Clinical use of TUGA in twin reduction after embryonic fixation is recommended for equine clinicians.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.233-237
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• 1998

We demonstrated that the normal pregnancy and delivery by round spermatid injection (ROSI) into oocytes was achieved from nonobstructive azoospermia patient. In this case, the normal fertilization rate was 50%. All of the two pronuclear stage embryos cleaved and were transferred to the patient's uterus. A singleton pregnancy was achieved and resulted in the birth of normal female infant. This resuJt show that intracytoplasraic injection of round spermatid seems to be new treatment of nonobstmctive azoospermia male infertility. Further research is needed to evaluate the required culture conditions to induce progression of the round spermatid into a more elongated stage.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.184-187
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• 2021

Radical trachelectomy is a fertility-preserving alternative to radical hysterectomy in carefully selected young women with early-stage cervical cancer. However, in cases with subsequent severe cervical stenosis, assisted reproductive techniques can be difficult. This is a case report of a 34-year-old patient who underwent robot-assisted radical trachelectomy and cerclage for early-stage (IB2) adenosquamous carcinoma. Three months after surgery, the patient underwent ovarian stimulation using a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol. As it was impossible to perform transcervical embryo transfer due to the almost complete absence of the cervical opening, transmyometrial embryo transfer under ultrasound guidance was performed. This resulted in a successful singleton pregnancy. This is the first case of successful pregnancy conceived by in vitro fertilization with transmyometrial embryo transfer in a patient who had previously undergone robot-assisted radical trachelectomy.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.137-139
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• 2014

The effect of artificial oocyte activation (AOA) with a calcium ionophore on intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) was examined in patients with histories of repeated failed implantation attempts. Four singleton pregnancies and one twin pregnancy were obtained after embryos transfer (5/14, 35.7%). Therefore, AOA combined with IMSI can be considered an option for cycles with a fertilization defect and recurrent implantation failures.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.131-137
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to present the reference value of the intracranial translucency(IT) of the fetus using the mid sagittal plane of the post brain in the early pregnancy ultrasound screening test and to find the clinical significance. From August 2018 to February 2020, the IT of 1529 singleton fetus whose crown lump length were 40.6 mm to 78.3 mm in length among the mothers undergoing regular checkups at Hospital I were measured and analyzed retrospectively. As the crown lump length increased, the IT showed a 54.3% explanatory power and tended to increase(p<0.001). In addition, through frequency analysis, the standard value for the percentile of the IT by gestational weeks was calculated. As a result, it was possible to establish a standard value for Koreans with an IT, and it will be usefully applied as an auxiliary screening test for spina bifida in the evaluation of fetal post brain in early pregnancy.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.300-305
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• 2004

Objectives : The exposure to particulate air pollution during the pregnancy has reported to result in adverse pregnancy outcome such as low birth weight, preterm birth, still birth, and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). We aim to assess whether prenatal exposure of particulate matter less than 10 (m in diameter ($PM_{10}$) is associated with preterm birth in Seoul, South Korea. Methods : We included 382,100 women who delivered a singleton at 25-42 weeks of gestation between 1998 and 2000. We calculated the average PM10 exposures for each trimester period and month of pregnancy, from the first to the ninth months, based on the birth date and gestational age. We used three different models to evaluate the effect of air pollution on preterm birth; the logistic regression model, the generalized additive logistic regression model, and the proportional hazard model. Results : The monthly analysis using logistic regression model suggested that the risks of preterm birth increase with PM10 exposure between the sixth and ninth months of pregnancy and the highest risk was observed in the seventh month (adjusted odds ratio=1.07, 95% CI=1.01-1.14). We also found the similar results using generalized additive model. In the proportional hazard model, the adjusted odds ratio for preterm births due to PM10 exposure of third trimester was 1.04 (95% CI=0.96-1.13) and PM10 exposure between the seventh month and ninth months of pregnancy was associated with the preterm births. Conclusions : We found that there were consistent results when we applied the three different models. These findings suggest that air pollution exposure during the third trimester pregnancy has an adverse effect on preterm birth in South Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 1998

This study was carried out to investigate the development rates of human embryos co-cultured with cumulus cells to each blastocyst stage. Human zygotes were co-cultured on cumulus cell monolayer in YS medium supplemented with 20% hFF. On day 2, if patient had four or more "good" embryos (regular blastomeres without fragmentation), embryos were further cultured for 72hrs. Blastocysts on day 5 were classified into early blastocyst (ErB), early expanding blastocyst (EEB), middle expanding Blastocyst (MEB), and expanded blastocyst (EdB) on the basis of their morphological aspects of trophectoderm cells and blastocoele. Subsequently, maximum 3 of best blastocysts were transferred in 486 cycles. The results in this study were as follows: Patients who had four or more "good" embryos on day 2 were 498 persons, but patients whose embryos could not be transferred due to failure in development to the blastocyst stage on day 5 were 12 persons (2.4%). The development rate of embryos to the blastocyst stage was 58.2% (2,885/4,957) on day 5, and the rates that developed to the ErB, EEB, MEB, and EdB stage were 15.0% (743/4,957), 14.9% (739/4,957), 14.4% (714/ 4,957), and 13.9% (689/4,957), respectively. Total 1366 blastocysts were transferred in 486 cycles (mean number=2.81). The implantation rate and the ongoing implantation rate obtained by observing the number of G-sac and FHB were 29.9% (409/1,366) and 22.5% (308/1,366), respectively. The clinical pregnancy rate was 51.2% (249/486), and the ongoing pregnancy rate' was 39.1% (190/486). Among women showing ongoing pregnancy, women with singleton were 50% (95/190), women with twin were 37.9% (72/190), and women with triplet were 12.1% (23/190). Although triplet pregnancy rate in this study was high such as 12.1%, because many blastocysts with high viability were produced in our co-culture system using cumulus cells on day 5, we really believe that a multiple pregnancy except twin should not occur by selecting good embryos for maximum two blastocyst transfer. These results demonstrate that autologous cumulus cells may be used for the production of blastocysts with high developmental competence, and the use of autologous cumulus cells to be collected easily, and to be treated conveniently at OPU must be an effective means for obtaining high implantation and pregnancy rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2011

Objective: To determine whether the serum ${\beta}$-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) profile following preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is lower than that of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Methods: A total of 129 PGD cycles and 1,161 age-matched ICSI cycles, which resulted in pregnancy (serum ${\beta}-hCG{\geq}5$ mIU/mL) on post-ovulation day (POD) 12 were included. We compared the mean serum ${\beta}$-hCG levels on POD 12, 14, 21, and 28, doubling time of serum hCG, and created a cut-off value for predicting a singleton pregnancy in each group. Results: The mean serum ${\beta}$-hCG concentration of the PGD group was significantly lower than that of the control group on POD 12, 14, and 21. The doubling time of serum ${\beta}$-hCG at each time interval showed no significant difference. The cut-off-value of serum ${\beta}$-hCG for predicting a single viable pregnancy was 32.5 mIU/mL on POD 12 and 113.5 mIU/mL on POD 14 for the PGD group, which was lower than that for the control group. Conclusion: Blastomere biopsy may decrease the ${\beta}$-hCG-producing activity of the trophoblasts, especially in early pregnancy. Setting a lower cut-off value of serum ${\beta}$-hCG for predicting pregnancy outcomes in PGD may be needed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.217-223
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• 2019

Objective: An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feed intake restriction during late pregnancy on the function, anti-oxidation capability and acute phase protein synthesis of ovine liver. Methods: Eighteen time-mated ewes with singleton fetuses were allocated to three groups: restricted group 1 (RG1, 0.18 MJ ME/kg $W^{0.75}$ d, n = 6), restricted group 2 (RG2, 0.33 MJ ME/kg $W^{0.75}$ d), n = 6) and a control group (CG, ad libitum, 0.67 MJ ME/kg $W^{0.75}$ d, n = 6). The feed restriction period was from 90 days to 140 days of pregnancy. Results: The ewe's body weight, liver weights, water, and protein content of liver in the restricted groups were reduced compared with the CG group (p<0.05), but the liver fat contents in the RG1 group were higher than those of the CG group (p<0.05). The increased hepatic collagen fibers and reticular fibers were observed in the restricted groups with the reduction of energy intake. The concentrations of nonesterified free fatty acids in the RG1 and RG2 groups were higher than those of the CG group with the reduction of energy intake (p<0.05), but there were decreased concentrations of lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase in both restricted groups compared with the CG group (p<0.05). In addition, the increased concentrations of ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyric acid, triglycerides, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity and activities of superoxide dismutase activity and catalase were found in the RG1 group, and the concentrations of cholinesterase in the RG1 group were reduced compared with the CG group (p<0.05). For the concentrations of acute phase proteins, the C-reactive protein (CRP) in the RG1 group were reduced compared with the CG group, but there were no differences in haptoglobin relative to the controls (p>0.05). Conclusion: The fat accumulation, increased hepatic fibrosis, antioxidant imbalance and modified synthesis of acute phase proteins were induced in ewe's liver by maternal malnutrition during late pregnancy, which were detrimental for liver function to accommodate pregnancy.