Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 3562

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Medical University of Białystok, 15-295 Białystok, Poland
Interests: reproductive medicine; infertility; reproductive endocrinology; assisted reproductive technology; morphokinetics; biostatistics; data mining; artificial intelligence

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Meicine, Medical University of Białystok, 15-276 Białystok, Poland
Interests: reproductive endocrinology; endocrinopathy; thyroid diseases; thyroid cancer; insulin resistance; diabetes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infertility is a serious problem affecting couples of reproductive age. The definition of infertility has changed over the years, and it is now defined as the failure to achieve pregnancy after 12 months or more of sexual intercourse with a frequency of 3–4 times a week, without the use of contraceptives. It is estimated that infertility affects approx. 10–15% of couples of reproductive age, with its causes divided equally (approx. 35% each) between women and men; a further 10% of cases concern both parties, whereas in approx. 20% of cases the existence of idiopathic infertility is accepted. Moreover, the endocrine system is an important part of infertility research, as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may disrupt the functioning of all the systems in the human body—especially the endocrine and the reproductive systems—thus, having a significant negative impact on fertility. This Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM) focuses on the current state of knowledge in the field of reproductive medicine—in particular, reproductive endocrinology and infertility. New research papers, reviews, case reports, and conference papers are welcome to this issue. Other accepted manuscript types include methodological papers, position papers, brief reports, and commentaries.

We will accept manuscripts covering various fields of reproductive medicine, focusing on the two primary areas of interest, i.e., (1) fertility, infertility, and sterility; and (2) reproductive endocrinology. Below are some examples of topics that could be addressed in this Special Issue:

  1. Topics connected with fertility, infertility, and sterility, including but not limited to: primary infertility, secondary infertility, idiopathic infertility; environment, lifestyle, and infertility; chronic diseases and infertility; insulin resistance in infertility; PCOS; endometriosis; the role of obesity in infertility; male and female disorders affecting fertility; the impact of environmental and occupational hazards on reproduction; toxic substances and infertility; the metabolic characterization of infertility issues; infertility treatment; assisted reproductive technology; predictors of infertility treatment outcomes; morphokinetics.
  2. Topics connected with reproductive endocrinology, including but not limited to: endocrinology and the pathophysiology of reproduction; female/male reproductive endocrinology; age-associated changes in hormone levels; reproductive endocrinology and tissue cancers; thyroid cancer; molecular studies in endocrinology; diabetes and carbohydrate metabolism disorders; obesity endocrinology; insulin resistance; endocrine disrupting chemicals; transgender medicine and endocrinology.

Prof. Dr. Robert Milewski
Prof. Dr. Katarzyna Siewko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • reproductive medicine
  • reproductive biology
  • reproductive endocrinology
  • endocrinopathy
  • infertility
  • assisted reproductive technology
  • infertility treatment predictors
  • morphokinetics
  • insulin resistance
  • lifestyle

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1225 KiB  
Article
Increased Serum Levels of Phoenixin-14, Nesfatin-1 and Dopamine Are Associated with Positive Pregnancy Rate after Ovarian Stimulation
by Magdalena Piróg, Robert Jach, Michał Ząbczyk and Joanna Natorska
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(22), 6991; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12226991 - 8 Nov 2023
Viewed by 697
Abstract
Background: We study the relationship between phoenixin (PNX-14), nesfatin-1 (NES-1), dopamine (DA) and oxytocin (OT) levels together with pregnancy rates in women after ovarian stimulation (OS). Methods: In a prospective case–control study, 56 infertile women were enrolled from the Department of Gynecological Endocrinology [...] Read more.
Background: We study the relationship between phoenixin (PNX-14), nesfatin-1 (NES-1), dopamine (DA) and oxytocin (OT) levels together with pregnancy rates in women after ovarian stimulation (OS). Methods: In a prospective case–control study, 56 infertile women were enrolled from the Department of Gynecological Endocrinology University Hospital. Infertile women age < 40 years old, with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), confirmed tubal patency and suitable sperm quality were included. Blood samples were drawn twice—before the initiation of OS and before the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration. Assessments of PNX-14, NES-1, DA and OT serum levels were performed. Pregnancy rates after OS were observed. Results: Pregnant women showed higher baseline NES-1 and OT levels (+29.2% and +44%) but not PNX-14 and DA levels when compared to non-pregnant ones. In pregnant women, positive correlations between OT and prolactin, PRL (r = 0.47, p = 0.04), as well as between OT and NES-1 (r = 0.55, p = 0.02), were observed at baseline. At baseline, an OT level increase was associated with a positive pregnancy rate (per 100 pg/mL, OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.04–1.74), while after OS, higher PNX-14 was a predictor of pregnancy (by 10 pg/mL, OR = 1.23, 95%CI 1.07–1.39). Post-stimulation PNX-14, NES-1 and DA concentrations were higher in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant ones (+17.4%, +26.1%, and +45.5%, respectively; all p < 0.05). In the pregnant group, OT levels were 2.7-times lower than in the remainder (p = 0.03). Moreover, in pregnant participants, a negative association between NES-1 and PNX (r = −0.53, p = 0.024) was observed. Conclusion: Elevated PNX-14, NES-1 and DA along with decreased OT levels were observed in women who achieved pregnancy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility)
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Review

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24 pages, 393 KiB  
Review
A Literature Review and a Proposed Classification of the Relationships between Ovulatory Infertility and Lifestyle Factors Based on the Three Groups of Ovulation Disorders Classified by WHO
by Magdalena Skowrońska, Michał Pawłowski and Robert Milewski
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(19), 6275; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12196275 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1606
Abstract
Ovulatory infertility is a serious clinical problem whose direct causes are still largely unknown. In addition to pathologies that make it impossible for a couple to establish a pregnancy, there are a number of other factors that have a bearing on fertility, including [...] Read more.
Ovulatory infertility is a serious clinical problem whose direct causes are still largely unknown. In addition to pathologies that make it impossible for a couple to establish a pregnancy, there are a number of other factors that have a bearing on fertility, including lifestyle factors, and particularly diet. Although numerous studies have been performed linking such factors to ovulatory infertility, most of them lack the necessary clinical significance, instead focusing on observational data and suggesting or establishing associative relationships. This article consists of a literature review focusing on connections between lifestyle factors such as diet, physical exercise, oxidative stress, sleep, and supplementation, and ovulatory infertility. Special emphasis was given to issues such as obesity and insulin resistance and their mutual relationship with other factors linked to ovulatory infertility. In addition, based on the conclusions of the literature review, the authors have proposed a classification of relationships between ovulation disorders and lifestyle factors in ovulatory infertility within the framework of the WHO classification of ovulation disorders. Furthermore, areas that merit further research have been indicated as well as those that do not. WHO Group II disorders gained prominence in the results of the study as the number of links with lifestyle factors and ovulatory infertility found in the course of the review greatly exceeded those for Groups I and III. The data presented in the article show that the issues of proper diet and physical exercise are those that could benefit from robust clinical studies focused specifically on ovulation infertility, while studies concerning the relationship between oxidative stress, sleep, and supplementation and ovulatory infertility do not seem to be promising directions as far as clinical significance is concerned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility)
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