Search

How do carriers of pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) respond to ovarian stimulation? A single-centre, retrospective study conducted between January 2006 and July 2021 in France. Ovarian reserve markers and ovarian stimulation cycle outcomes were compared for couples undergoing preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for maternally inherited mtDNA disease (n = 18) (mtDNA-PGT group) with a matched-control group of patients undergoing PGT for male indications (n = 96). The PGT outcomes for the mtDNA-PGT group and the follow-up of these patients in case of unsuccessful PGT was also reported. For carriers of pathogenic mtDNA, parameters of ovarian response to FSH and ovarian stimulation cycle outcomes were not different from those of matched-control ovarian stimulation cycles. The carriers of pathogenic mtDNA needed a longer ovarian stimulation and higher dose of gonadotrophins. Three patients (16.7%) obtained a live birth after the PGT process, and eight patients (44.4%) achieved parenthood through alternative methods: oocyte donation (n = 4), natural conception with prenatal diagnosis (n = 2) and adoption (n = 2). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of women carrying a mtDNA variant who have undergone a PGT for monogenic (single gene defects) procedure. It is one of the possible options to obtain a healthy baby without observing an impairment in ovarian response to stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Mental and behavioural disorders pose a pressing challenge in healthcare as pertaining to socially significant diseases. The significance is conditioned by high morbidity rates, including temporary and permanent disability, high fi nancial burden of medical care andregular social subsidy to target groups. According to the World Health Organisation, mental burden currently aggravates to entail serious social, human-rights and economic impact around the globe.Objectives. A study of regional dynamics of mental and behavioural morbidity in the Irkutsk Region over a seven-year period.Methods. A retrospective descriptive study used statistics data on primary and overall morbidity of definitely diagnosed mental and behavioural disorders (other than substance use disorders; F00–F09, F20–F99). The analysis of mental and behavioural illness incidence was based on statistical reports over the period of 2013–2019. The inclusion criterion was definite diagnosis of a mental and behavioural disorder (other than substance use disorder; F00–F09, F20–F99) in children, adolescents and adults. The main study indicators were the regional mental morbidity rate and prevalence, mental and behavioural morbidity rates among “dispensary care” and “medical counselling” outpatients, and primary morbidity rates by mental and behavioural nosology groups.Results. The article reports the regional traits of mental morbidity dynamics exhibiting a growing trend in Irkutsk Region. The morbidity traits of primary diagnoses have been analysed in dispensary care and medical counselling outpatients. Growing psychoneurologic visits are observed along with the institutional redirection of fi rst diagnoses towards decreasing the numbers of dispensary care vs. medical counselling outpatients. Thus, the structure of fi rst mental diagnoses changed towards prevailed medical counselling. Primary morbidity rate in male population is higher almost 1.5-fold in the study period. Primary morbidity elevated in both men and women. A primary morbidity analysis in different age cohorts reveals its growth in ages 0–14, 40–59 and >60 years.Conclusion. Our analyses reveal a lowering primary morbidity rate of mental disorders in outpatients taken for dispensary care, given the overall higher incidence. This may occur due to an institutional and instructional change in medical care provided to this patient category, including ineffective diagnosis, poor aid access and visit rate, statistical reporting design and possible changes in the criteria of taking for dispensary care. This fact requires improvements in the legal regulation of outpatient management of mental and behavioural illness at psychoneurologic institutions and the development of clear criteria of registering for dispensary care.

There are many arguments for the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy. The aim of this study is to describe the level of vaccination acceptance, to find the factors that most influence the decision to vaccinate, and to describe the scale of changes in vaccination acceptance influenced by medical information on the safety, efficacy, and benefits of vaccination among pregnant women. A total of 300 patients completed the questionnaire, including 150 in Poland and 150 in the Ukraine. The level of vaccination acceptance was assessed before and after medical consultation. There were 53 (35.3%) patients with the intention to get vaccinated in Poland and 25 (16.7%) in the Ukraine. After consultation with a physician, this increased to 109 (72.6%) in Poland and 69 (46%) in the Ukraine. The main factors influencing the acceptance of vaccinations were the fear of harming the foetus (OR-0.119, CI-0.039–0.324 p < 0.001), complications in pregnancy (OR-0.073 CI-0.023–0.197 p < 0.001), and limitations in the vaccination programme (OR-0.026 CI-0.001–0.207 p < 0.001). Medical information about the safety, effectiveness and benefits of vaccinations among pregnant women, provided during a medical visit, may increase the acceptance of vaccinations by 105.6%, as among Polish patients, and by 176%, as among pregnant women from the Ukraine.

The aim of this study is the investigation of Hippocrates’ consultative theory with regard to man’s physical exercise, gymnastics, diet and health, on the basis of his work “Regimen” and his other works. The aforementioned issues are thematised in the works in question. By means of this thematisation, a medical counselling is formed, according to which exercise, gymnastics and diet aim at the maintenance and restoration of man’s health; dietetics, maintenance of well-being, recovery and amelioration of man’s health are involved in this thematisation. Hippocrates’ views on the aforementioned issues constitute a basis for the discussion and pedagogical exploitation of them in contemporary education and, particularly, in sports education and physical exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many arguments for the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy. The aim of this study is to describe the level of vaccination acceptance, to find the factors that most influence the decision to vaccinate, and to describe the scale of changes in vaccination acceptance influenced by medical information on the safety, efficacy, and benefits of vaccination among pregnant women. A total of 300 patients completed the questionnaire, including 150 in Poland and 150 in the Ukraine. The level of vaccination acceptance was assessed before and after medical consultation. There were 53 (35.3%) patients with the intention to get vaccinated in Poland and 25 (16.7%) in the Ukraine. After consultation with a physician, this increased to 109 (72.6%) in Poland and 69 (46%) in the Ukraine. The main factors influencing the acceptance of vaccinations were the fear of harming the foetus (OR-0.119, CI-0.039–0.324 p < 0.001), complications in pregnancy (OR-0.073 CI-0.023–0.197 p < 0.001), and limitations in the vaccination programme (OR-0.026 CI-0.001–0.207 p < 0.001). Medical information about the safety, effectiveness and benefits of vaccinations among pregnant women, provided during a medical visit, may increase the acceptance of vaccinations by 105.6%, as among Polish patients, and by 176%, as among pregnant women from the Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of achieving viable embryos, developing to term after transfer into the uterus, by fertilizing oocytes with spermatids has been demonstrated both in animal studies and in preliminary human clinical trials. Here we review the current clinical indications of spermatid conception and discuss the predictable success rates associated with each of these indications. Potential health hazards relating to the use of spermatids for conception are updated taking into account the risk of abnormal or incomplete epigenetic modifications of newly discovered human imprinted genes. We also add new experimental data showing the occurrence of spermatids in patients lacking spermatozoa and demonstrating that round spermatids recovered from patients with complete spermiogenesis failure (no elongated spermatids or spermatozoa ever detected in the patient's history) are often deficient in the factor(s) responsible for oocyte activation. The possible consequences of this deficiency for the occurrence of abnormal fertilization patterns and for the impairment of further preimplantation and post-implantation development are discussed. It is concluded that the development of diagnostic tests to assess the intrinsic quality of spermatids, with regard to their ability to act as gametes, is urgently needed as part of pre-treatment diagnosis before infertile couples are included in a spermatid conception programme. Centres wishing to use spermatids in human assisted reproduction should also be prepared to offer adequate diagnostic methods to control genomic imprinting abnormalities in the progeny. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]