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Background : Recent advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment have significantly improved survival rates among women of reproductive age facing cancer. However, the potential iatrogenic loss of fertility caused by chemotherapeutic agents underscores the need to understand and predict chemotherapy-induced ovarian damage. This study addresses this gap by systematically reviewing the literature to investigate genetic markers associated with chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure (CIOF). Objective : The primary objective is to identify genetic markers linked to CIOF, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing fertility preservation in female cancer survivors. Methods : A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and OVID electronic databases from inception through December 2023. Studies were included if they featured genomic assessments of genes or polymorphisms related to CIOF in women with histologically confirmed tumors. Exclusion criteria comprised in vitro and animal studies, reviews, and pilot studies. The resulting four human-based studies were scrutinized for insights into genetic influences on CIOF. Results : Of the 5179 articles initially identified, four studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on alkylating agents, particularly cyclophosphamide, and anthracyclines. Su et al. explored CYP3A41B variants, revealing modified associations with CIOF based on age. Charo et al. investigated GSTA1 and CYP2C19 polymorphisms, emphasizing the need to consider age and tamoxifen therapy in assessing associations. Oktay et al. delved into the impact of BRCA mutations on anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels post-chemotherapy, supported by in vitro assays. Van der Perk et al. focused on childhood cancer survivors and revealed significant associations of CYP3A43 and CYP2B6*2 SNPs with AMH levels. Conclusions : This systematic review analyzes evidence regarding genetic markers influencing CIOF, emphasizing the complex interplay of age, specific genetic variants, and chemotherapy regimens. The findings underscore the need for a personalized approach in assessing CIOF risk, integrating genetic markers with traditional ovarian reserve testing. The implications of this study extend to potential advancements in fertility preservation strategies, offering clinicians a comprehensive baseline assessment for tailored interventions based on each patient's unique genetic profile. Further research is essential to validate these findings and establish a robust framework for integrating genetic markers into clinical practice.

Objective: To describe a laparoscopic technique for ovarian tissue biopsy (OTB) for fertility preservation. In the last years, the demand for fertility preservation has grown because of the increasing survival rates among patients with cancer and the rising awareness of the importance of quality of life after gonadotoxic therapy. Among fertility-sparing approaches, ovarian tissue cryopreservation is a valid strategy to preserve ovarian endocrine and reproductive function in prepubertal and postpubertal women who will undergo gonadotoxic cancer treatments. Currently, there is no universal consensus regarding ovarian tissue retrieval technique for fertility preservation., Design: Step-by-step description of the surgical technique with narrated video footage., Setting: Academic tertiary hospital., Patient(s): Patients with a high risk of premature ovarian insufficiency, usually due to gonadotoxic treatments, who undergo OTB for fertility preservation were included in the study. In this video, we present the clinical case of a 28-year-old patient affected by Hodgkin lymphoma who underwent laparoscopy for OTB before chemotherapy., Intervention(s): After exposing the chosen ovary, an incision at the tubal pole of the ovary is made with scissors. Through section and dissection, a large cortical biopsy of the ovary is performed without removing and avoiding any damage to the medulla. At the end of the procedure, hemostasis was achieved with selective coagulation using bipolar coagulation., Main Outcome Measure(s): Step by step educational video., Result(s): The post-operative course was uneventful and the patient was discharge 24 hours after surgery., Conclusion(s): Standardization of a step-by-step laparoscopic technique can provide an effective method to optimize ovarian tissue removal while minimizing tissue injury. Medulla-sparing ovarian biopsy allows retrieval of only the cortical part of the ovary, maximizing the number of primordial follicles obtained without damaging the vascular supply of the ovary contained within the medulla. Primordial follicles are resistant to cryoinjury owing to their relatively inactive metabolism, and they are usually found at approximately 0.8 mm below the surface of the cortex. This technique could also reduce the back-table processing time of the ovarian tissue before cryopreservation. One disadvantage could be the difficulty of the technique compared to an oophorectomy because it requires a skilled surgeon that can easily find the cleavage plane between the medulla and the cortex, even in patients submitted to previous chemoradiotherapy or during gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of Interests D.R. has nothing to disclose. A. Raspollini has nothing to disclose. L.B. has nothing to disclose. S.F. has nothing to disclose. R.V. has nothing to disclose. V.M. has nothing to disclose. A. Raffone has nothing to disclose. R.S. has nothing to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The efficiency of ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) was established in terms of ovarian function recovery (95% of cases), number of live births (over 200 worldwide to date) and induction of puberty. Unfortunately, the lack of international registries and the fact that many centers have not yet reported their outcomes, lead to poor knowledge of the exact fertility data. The aim of the study is to describe our experience with OTT to restore ovarian function and fertility., Methods: This study was designed as a single-center, observational, retrospective, cohort study that includes women who underwent OTT between December 2012 and June 2023 at our center. After approval by the oncologist/hematologist, a small fragment of ovarian tissue was thawed and analyzed to detect the presence of micrometastases before OTT. Thawed ovarian tissue was grafted laparoscopically at multiple sites, including the remaining ovary and pelvic side wall (orthotopic transplantation) and/or abdominal wall (heterotopic transplantation). After OTT, ovarian function was monitored by hormonal assay, ultrasound and color Doppler at approximately 4-week intervals., Results: Between December 2012 and June 2023, 30 women performed OTT. Prior to OTT, immunohistochemical and molecular analyses revealed no micrometastases in all thawed ovarian tissue samples. In our series of 30 women, 20 of women were on premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and the remaining ten cases still had oligomenorrhea and difficulty getting pregnant. Among the women with POI before OTT and at least 6 months follow-up, recovery of endocrine function was observed in all but one woman who underwent orthotopic transplantation (13 of 14 cases), in one out of two women who underwent both orthotopic and heterotopic transplantation (1 of 2 cases) and in all women who underwent heterotopic transplantation (4 of 4 cases). Women who underwent OTT to enhance fertility had no alterations in menstrual cycle and hormonal levels. In total, ten pregnancies were obtained in 25 women, resulting in four live births, two ongoing pregnancies and four spontaneous abortions., Conclusion: Our data can help patients and physicians in their discussions and decisions about the need and possibilities of preserving fertility., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Fabbri, Vicenti, Magnani, Paradisi, De Meis, Raimondo, Arena, Venturoli, Raffone, Raspollini and Seracchioli.)

This case report describes the detection of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) within ovarian tissue after cryopreservation. The 27-year-old woman presented no gynecological symptoms such as pelvic pain or abnormal uterine bleeding. During laparoscopy for ovarian tissue cryopreservation, the ovaries appeared markedly modified and some solid content cysts were highlighted. Microscopically the cysts revealed the presence of lymphoid infiltrate, whereas the histological assessment of some fragments of the ovarian cortical tissue revealed no evidence of pathological lymphoid infiltration. This case report describes the presence of pathological lymphoid infiltration in ovarian cysts but not in the cortical tissue of a young woman with secondary NHL. Despite the absence of the positivity in cortical tissue it was recommended to avoid the cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation to reduce the risk of reseeding of the malignancy in the woman.

We prove an integral formula for the spherical measure of hypersurfaces in equiregular sub-Riemannian manifolds. Among various technical tools, we establish a general criterion for the uniform convergence of parametrized sub-Riemannian distances, and local uniform asymptotics for the diameter of small metric balls., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Introduction: Treatment of patients with COVID-19 has been a priority by competing with the treatment of any other disease due to limited hospital resources. The current pandemic situation has focused the attention of healthcare providers around the world away from all other non-emergency health problems, including oncofertility. The aim of the study was to evaluate the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activity levels of ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) in the our center., Methods: The study analyzed the number of patients treated for OTC in our center during three periods: pre-pandemic period: March 2019-February 2020, pandemic period: March 2020-February 2021 and post-pandemic period: March 2021-February 2022., Results: In our center routine hospital operation was completely reorganized, allowing only urgent interventions. Continuing to urgently preserve fertility during the pandemic required rapid changes to our standard practices for the care of these vulnerable patients. Despite the modifications, there was no difference in the number of OTC performed among the periods analyzed. Similarly, the number of patients who did not perform OTC was the same over the three years analyzed., Discussion: Despite the local and national restructuring of care to conserve resources and protect the community, it is significant to continue offering fertility-sparing treatment to cancer patients. This emphasis on the importance of preserving fertility despite the pandemic further highlights the essential and urgent nature of this procedure., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Magnani, Vicenti, Fabbri, Paradisi, De Meis, Raimondo, Casadio and Seracchioli.)

Objective: To report the 20-year experience in ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) and ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) of the Bologna clinical center (Bologna, Italy)., Design: Retrospective cohort study., Patients: 1026 pediatrics and women aged between 2 and 38 years who underwent OTC and OTT between January 2002 to January 2022., Results: Of the 1026 patients, 238 (22.8%) were pediatrics (≤ 17 years, Group 1) and 788 (77.2%) were adult women (range 18-38 years, Group 2). In Group 1, 184 (77.3%) patients had malignant diseases and 54 (22.7%) had non-malignant diseases. In Group 2, 746 (94.7%) patients had malignant diseases and 42 (5.3%) had non-malignant diseases. No real complications were observed during surgery. In all the samples analyzed most of the follicles were in the resting stage, while only a few follicles were growing. In both fresh and thawed samples, follicular density was higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (p < 0.01). Regardless of age, good preservation of follicles and stroma was observed in fresh and thawed ovarian tissue by histological and immunohistochemical analyses (estrogen and progesterone receptors; Ki67 and Bcl2 markers; TUNEL). To date, out of 1026 total women, 812 (79.1%) had their tissue stored. Sixty-eight (6.6%) patients died from their primary disease. Twenty-four (2.3%) women performed 33 OTTs between December 2011 and January 2022. Restoration of menstruation was observed in 15 out of 17 menopausal women. Six pregnancies were achieved, two hesitated in abortion and four in the birth of healthy babies., Conclusion: OTC is the only fertility preservation technique applicable in pre-pubertal/pediatrics and in adult patients when stimulation for oocytes/embryos cryopreservation is not possible. The reported data can help future patients and physicians in their discussions and decisions about the need and possibilities of preserving ovarian function., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fabbri, Vicenti, Magnani, Paradisi, Lima, De Meis, Rossi, Raimondo, Casadio, Venturoli, Maffi and Seracchioli.)

This article presents a dataset to investigate the determinants of firms' decision for primary share issuance and the effects of market timing on primary share issues in the Brazilian stock market. The data refer to Brazilian nonfinancial firms that issued primary shares (IPOs and SEOs) in the 2004-2015 period. The data were gathered from the online bases of Economatica ® and the São Paulo Securities, Commodities and Futures Exchange (BM&FBovespa). The final sample was composed of 123 firms and 165 primary share issues: 97 initial public offerings and 68 follow-on offerings. The dataset was developed to support a model that captures market timing behavior through cumulative abnormal returns and shows the effects of this behavior on the amount of proceeds raised. The dataset contains subsamples and different analysis time windows, processed and unprocessed data. Researchers can use the dataset for future research and comparisons with other markets and models. The related research article using part of the current dataset was published under the following title: "Effects of market timing on primary share issues in the Brazilian capital market" (Gomes et al.).

Objectives: The role of dental plaque in gingival lesions caused by oral lichen planus has not been fully defined. The aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effects of oral healthcare motivation on clinical variables in patients with gingival oral lichen planus., Material and Methods: Oral lichen planus patients with symptomatic gingival lesions were randomized in control and intervention groups. The intervention group was instructed to effectively remove bacterial biofilm from dental surfaces, while controls did not receive any advice. The outcome variables were as follows: quality of life (OHIP-14), pain, plaque index and clinical severity of the disease (Escudier index). Outcome variables were assessed at 0, 4 and 20 weeks and analysed using an ANOVA model for factorial design., Results: Data from 60 patients were collected. Regression analysis showed a significant positive trend of OHIP-14, plaque index and Escudier index in the intervention group compared to controls (p < 0.05). Pain did not prove significantly different (p = 0.408)., Conclusions: Plaque control improved both OHIP-14 and gingival lesion clinical severity. Oral hygienists should be involved in the multidisciplinary management of patients affected by oral lichen planus with gingival lesions., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of FSH and LH on follicle development during a long-term culture of cryopreserved human ovarian tissue, using morphological and ultrastructural examinations. Thawed ovarian tissue slices from a 4-year-old child with Wilms tumor were cultured for 32 weeks in two different culture conditions, without (medium A) and with (medium B) a monthly peaked increase in FSH and LH. At week 32, in the medium B cultured tissue, a cluster of preantral follicles associated with two oocytes prematurely ovulated was observed, suggesting that the cyclic increase of gonadotropins promoted thawed follicles to grow up to the antral stage. However, the integrity and coordinated follicle development were not maintained. Indeed, ultrastructural analysis showed a well-preserved "naked" oocyte with concomitant features of immaturity and maturity, as if this culture condition had led to an asynchronous maturation of oocyte cytoplasmic components.