Maria Elisabetta Coccia

• University of Florence

The Childbearing Motivations Scale (CMS) is a multidimensional self-report measure of positive and negative motivations influencing the decision to become a parent. This study aimed to validate the Italian version of the CMS. A sample of 522 participants (27% men and 73% women) aged from 18 to 55 years was recruited. The four-factor model for the p...

Citation: Fini, E.; Argento, F.R.; Borghi, S.; Giurranna, E.; Nencini, F.; Cirillo, M.; Fatini, C.; Taddei, N.; Coccia, M.E.; Fiorillo, C.; et al. Abstract: Endometriosis (EM), a chronic inflammatory condition predominantly affecting women of reproductive age, has been linked to an elevated risk of thrombosis, though its underlying molecular mechan...

Objective. Several studies have shown stark socio-economic disparities in births born via assisted reproduction technology (ART), but only a few have investigated underlying causes. We study the likelihood of ART treatment success as a possible explanation.Design. Observational study of center-based data. We consider women undergoing ART treatment...

In Italy the fertility rate is very low, and an increasing number of patients are infertile and require treatments. The Italian Law concerning the safety of patient care, and the professional liability of health professionals, indicates that health professionals must comply with the recommendations set out in the guidelines developed by public and...

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic and inflammatory disease associated with pelvic pain. Dietary changes may be therapeutic for chronic inflammatory processes, reducing visceral input. The aim was to evaluate the role of dietary changes according to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) on pain perception in endometriosis and their relationship with oxi...

Study question Can blastocyst first expansion time after thawing, complete expansion, and morphology evaluated by time-lapse technology predict implantation? Summary answer Lower blastocyst expansion time after thawing and higher blastocyst quality assessed at the time of transfer are associated with a higher probability of clinical pregnancy Wha...

Background . Following a diagnosis of infertility, an increasing number of couples are turning to Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) to achieve a pregnancy, which can have a detrimental impact on the individual's Quality-of-Life, leading to heightened risks of anxious-depressive symptoms and stress. Little is known about men’s infertility-relate...

Citation: Becatti, M.; Cito, G.; Argento, F.R.; Fini, E.; Bettiol, A.; Borghi, S.; Mannucci, A.; Fucci, R.; Giachini, C.; Picone, R.; et al. Blood Leukocyte ROS Production Reflects Seminal Fluid Oxidative Stress and Spermatozoa Dysfunction in Idiopathic Infertile Men. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 479. https://doi. Abstract: A large proportion of infertil...

Importance Correct diagnosis of ovarian cancer results in better prognosis. Adnexal lesions can be stratified into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) risk of malignancy categories with either the O-RADS lexicon, proposed by the American College of Radiology, or the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) 2-step strategy. Ob...

PurposeThe risk of monozygotic twins (MZTs) is increased in couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. Several systematic reviews have investigated the possible determinants linked to ART, but results obtained have not been conclusive. The study aims to investigate whether the incidence of MZT differed among ART centers.M...

Study question Could factors inherent to individual centers, related to local clinical or laboratory variables, play a role in the increased incidence of monozygotic twins in IVF? Summary answer The rate of MZT did not significantly vary among IVF centers What is known already The risk of monozygotic twins (MZT) is increased in couples undergoing...

Objective To evaluate lifestyle and risk factors playing a role in increasing the burden of cardiovascular diseases and to increase attention of clinicians who should envision a broader preconception approach in ART, not only in women but also in men. Study Design: In this cross-sectional study we investigated 90 Caucasian couples, referred to the...

Laparoscopic surgery was originally considered the gold standard in the treatment of endometriosis-related infertility. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) was indicated as second-line treatment or in the case of male factor. The combined approach of surgery followed by ART proved to offer higher chances of pregnancy in infertile women with endo...

Background: The impact of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on pregnancy is not well-understood. During the outbreak, the initial approach suggested by the major societies was to postpone all non-urgent assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments. Nevertheless, the Italian Society of Fertility and Sterility and Reproductive Me...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been shown to impact the lifestyle of couples of reproductive age and, in particular, their desire for parenthood. The purpose of this study was to carry out an evaluation on the potential changes of desire for parenthood among infertile couples waiting for assisted reproduction during the pandemic. Methods:...

With the implementation of COVID-19 vaccine up-take, doubts regarding the impact of immunization on future fertility have begun to emerge. We have examined vaccine safety on male reproductive health. We set up a multicentre (three infertility centers), retrospective study in order to assess semen parameters and fertilization rate of one hundred-six...

At present infertility is affecting about 15% of couples and male factor is responsible for almost 50% of infertility cases. Oxidative stress, due to enhanced Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production and/or decreased antioxidants, has been repeatedly suggested as a new emerging causative factor of this condition. However, the central roles exerted...

Objective: After a diagnosis of infertility, an increasing number of couples turns to the Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) to achieve a pregnancy. A diagnosis of infertility has a negative impact on the individual's well-being and it can increase the risk of anxious-depressive symptoms, stress, and low self-esteem. Data associated with infert...

The homocysteine pathway in the preconception period should be evaluated to highlight micronutrient deficiencies and warrants optimal multivitamin supplementation, before Assisted Reproduction, as preconception care. We conducted a retrospective study aimed at investigating the role of vitamin B complex (5-methyltetrahydrofolate, vitamin B12, vitam...

Background: Hormonal fertility treatments are associated with increased coagulation factors inducing procoagulant milieu and possibly thrombotic risk. Objective: To assess coagulation by ROTEM and coagulation tests in apparently healthy infertile women before oocyte donation procedure. Methods: We enrolled 51 women (Assisted Reproductive Techn...

Study question Does fertilization rate (FR) affect cumulative success rates in assisted reproduction cycles? Summary answer These data indicate a positive association between FR with CLBR suggesting the predictive clinical relevance of this parameter and its adoption as Key Performance Indicator(KPI). What is known already Numerous studies have a...

Objective: We evaluated cardiometabolic burden in women planning assisted reproduction in order to identify subgroups at higher risk of pregnancy complications and cardiovascular disease. Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional study we investigated 60 infertile women with BMI≥25 kg/m2 referred to the Center for Assisted Reproduction. All w...

Appendiceal Neoplasm is a rare tumour with a vague and nonspecific clinical presentation. Delayed or missed diagnosis could result in mucin spill into the peritoneal cavity because of cancer infiltration or spontaneous rupture of appendix. This condition is called Psuedomyxoma Peritonei (PMP) and has a very poor prognosis if not treated properly. W...

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the vitamin B status related to the homocysteine pathway and the prevalence of polymorphisms of the MTHFR gene in infertile women programming homologous or heterologous ART. Study design: We investigated 393 consecutive Caucasian women, referred to the Internal Medicine Clinic at the Center for As...

Objective: To appraise the fertilization rate as a predictive factor for cumulative live birth rate (CLBR). Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. Setting: Ten in vitro fertilization clinics, whose data were collected and processed by the assisted reproductive technology (ART) Italian National Registry. Patient(s): 7,968 couples und...

The relationship between endometriosis and subclinical atherosclerosis represents an emerging topic in women's health, as women with endometriosis are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. We investigated metabolic parameters and indirect endothelial markers related to atherosclerosis, in women suffering from stage III/IV of endom...

Hydrosalpinx is a disease characterized by the obstruction of the salpinx, with progressive accumulation in the shape of a fluid-filled sac at the distal part of the tuba uterina, and closed to the ovary. Women with hydrosalpinges have lower implantation and pregnancy rates due to a combination of mechanical and chemical factors thought to disrupt...

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major depressive disorder that affects women during the perinatal period. Our study aimed to evaluate the onset of psychological effects in spontaneous pregnancies in contrast with pregnancies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF). We carried out a prospective cohort study using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depress...

We present data from three Caucasian men with Zinner syndrome who attended our center for the treatment of primary couple’s infertility. Each patient was scheduled for multiple conventional testicular sperm extraction (cTESE) and cryopreservation. The mean duration of infertility was 243 months. Sperm analysis confirmed absolute azoospermia. In pa...

Purpose To evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of a transnational gamete donation (TGD) programme based on the shipping of vitrified donor oocytes. Methods A retro-prospective observational study was conducted in the Assisted Reproductive Technology Center of the University Hospital of Florence, Italy. The study population included...

Objective The aim of the study is to evaluate how individual and couple's sexuality had changed during the COVID-19 pandemic related quarantine. Methods A quantitative correlational research study was conducted, using a web-based survey. Results 1576 participants were involved: 1018 women (64.6%) and 558 men (35.4%). A significant decline in the...

Objective To evaluate the impact of sperm morphology (SM) on laboratory and pregnancy outcomes in conventional intracytoplasmic sperm injection (c‐ICSI) cycles, using the egg donation model to minimize female confounding variables. Materials and methods We retrospectively collected data of oocyte donation cycles from October 2016 to February 2020....

Our objective was to investigate whether the chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection can affect semen parameters in men with couple infertility and to assess the impact of male CMV infection on the reproductive outcomes of CMV‐seronegative women suffering from tubal factor. Group 1 included CMV IgG‐seropositive men, Group 2 CMV IgG‐seronegative pat...

Background Recently, alterations in miRNAs expression profile in semen have been linked to damaged spermatogenesis, suggesting miRNAs could be used as potential infertility biomarkers. In previous animal studies, miR‐20a‐5p was found to be down‐expressed in low motile sperm, implying its potential target of genes associated with cell apoptosis. Ob...

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lifestyle change on couples of reproductive age and on their desire for parenthood. Materials and methods: A quantitative correlational research study, based on a web survey, was conducted among Italian men and women in heterosexual stable relationships, aged between 18 and 46 years. The self...

Research Question To evaluate pre-existing comorbidities, obstetric risks factors and adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies conceived by oocyte donation (OD), as compared to spontaneously conceived (SC) pregnancies or by conventional in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). Design In a retrospective sing...

Objective To evaluate semen characteristics and reproductive outcomes after assisted ejaculation methods with fresh IVF/ICSI cycles in patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI), compared to controls, affected by idiopathic male infertility (non-SCI group). Methods SCI patients firstly underwent penile vibratory stimulation (PVS). Men “non-r...

Endometriosis is a gynecological disease characterized by pain and infertility. The diagnosis is very often made during the infertility work-up, together with other reproductive diseases and uterine disorders. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on infertile women with clinical or ultrasound suspect of endometriosis, undergoing an ultrasound...

Monitoring follicular growth usually involves a combination of hormonal assays and ultrasonic measurements of follicle size (Fig. 8.1). Nowadays, Transvaginal Ultrasound (TVUS) is the “gold standard” for monitoring ovarian ovulation in both spontaneous and stimulated cycles.

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in men of serodiscordant couples on the reproductive outcomes. Materials and methods: A total of 134 infertile couples were included in this retrospective single-center cohort study. Sixty-six couples had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-seropositive men and seronegative...

The original article unfortunately contained a mistake. The names of the collaborators were captured as authors of the article.

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the most prevalent causes of sperm damage, through the toxic effects of endogenously generated hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals. Peripheral leukocytes represent a feasible model for studying the pathophysiology of OS-mediated homeostasis, which can be responsible for cell dysfunc...

Purpose: The relationship between male systemic inflammation and fertility seems intriguing, but no data about its impact on the assisted reproductive technology outcomes has been reported. Here, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of male systemic inflammatory parameters in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes prediction, in coup...

Background Depressive and anxious symptoms are common psychological reactions to infertility and Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR). No study compared depressive and anxious symptoms and infertility stress dimensions across homologous and heterologous MAR, nor explored the specific role of the infertility stress dimensions in the two pathways. H...

Purpose To estimate the contribution of cryopreservation to the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) after law modification in Italy in the era of vitrification and freeze-all. Methods The Italian National Registry performed a cycle-based data collection. Nine Italian IVF clinics were involved incorporating a total of 10,260 fresh cycles performed be...

The pathophysiology of severe endometriosis in young women remains unknown. Menorrhagia, or heavy and prolonged menstrual bleeding, is the most common symptom experienced by women with von Willebrand disease (vWD) and represents a possible risk factor for developing endometriosis. A 17-year-old woman affected by vWD presented with severe dysmenorrh...

Background Nowadays, serodiscordant couples (SDCs) with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected men have the chance to conceive safely, giving birth with a minimum risk of cross‐infection. Objective To assess the impact of male HIV and HCV infection on the assisted reproductive technologies (ART) outcomes in SDCs, wi...

Introduction: Infertility may depend up to 27% of couples on both partners. In patients with obstructive azoospermia, testicular fine-needle aspiration represents a good option to retrieve spermatozoa, in order to perform an assisted reproductive treatment. In vitro maturation of testicular spermatozoa could be the better choice of treatment in vi...

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of paternal age on the oocyte-donation outcomes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Methods: Two hundred and seventy-eight infertile couples were retrospectively involved. Inclusion criteria were: infertility from almost 1 year, normal or sub-fertile seminal parameters,...

Objective Endometriosis is a complex disease, and pain is an important component of the syndrome. One of the most used methods to assess pain is the visual analogue scale (VAS). The aim of the present research was to study the pain experienced by patients who referred to our unit for endometriosis, using the VAS to understand the variables that cou...

To date, the key role of vitamin D in male reproductive system has been suggested, since the expression of vitamin D receptors and metabolizing enzymes was demonstrated in the testis and spermatozoa. Nevertheless, a general consensus about the role of vitamin D in male fertility is still debated. The aim of this review is to provide an updated syst...

Objective To assess whether the “testicular pool” could be used for histological analysis and whether it gave more accurate information than the standard testicular biopsy. Methods Between January 2017 and March 2018, this single-center prospective study included 60 azoospermic men undergoing conventional bilateral testicular sperm extraction. Six...

Introduction The influence of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) on sexual function has been poorly studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of DIE on sexual function by administering questionnaires to women. Methods Women with a clinical and ultrasound diagnosis of DIE and histological confirmation of endometriosis were includ...

To study whether unoperated ovarian endometrioma(s) or its surgical excision led to a modified pattern of ovarian decay with increasing female age. A sectional analysis of basal follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and ovarian response to gonadotropins was conducted on women treated with fresh autologous In Vitro Fertilization/Intracytoplasmic sperm...

To investigate the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes in couples with an unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) history, a retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2014 and 2015. The study group (A) included couples with an unexplained RPL, and the control group (B) was composed of couples who attended the Low-Risk Antenatal Unit d...

Azoospermia can be diagnosed in about 10%–15% of the infertile male population. To overcome the problem of failure to produce spermatozoa in the ejaculate in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), testicular sperm extraction (TESE) may be performed to find the focal area of spermatogenesis. A 47‐year‐old man with NOA presented for treatmen...

Introduction: The aim of our research was to establish the relevance of testicular histopathology on sperm retrieval after testicular sperm extraction in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia and in patients with obstructive azoospermia, who already underwent a previous failure testicular fine needle aspiration. Methods: We evaluated a total...

Oxidative stress plays a major role in critical biological processes in human reproduction. However, a reliable and biologically accurate indicator of this condition does not yet exist. On these bases, the aim of this study was to assess and compare the blood and follicular fluid (FF) redox status of 45 infertile subjects (and 45 age-matched contro...

We assessed the outcome of pregnancy in women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) following treatment with low-dose human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG)+progesterone or progesterone alone. This single-center retrospective cohort study included data from women diagnosed with RPL and treated between February 2005 and December 2012 with on...

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the quality of semen of a large sample from general healthy population living in Italy, in order to identify possible variables that could influence several parameters of spermiogram. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study from February 2010 to March 2015, collecting semen samples from the...

Oxidative stress negatively affects folliculogenesis and embryo development. However, a reliable and biologically accurate indicator of oxidative stress does not yet exist. On these bases, the aim of this study was to assess -and compare- blood and follicular fluid (FF) redox status in 45 infertile subjects (and 45 age-matched controls) undergoing...

Purpose: The aim was to describe our preliminary experience performing testicular fine-needle aspiration (TEFNA) with a larger needle in infertile patients with obstructive azoospermia, and to provide a systematic literature review of the different testicular sperm aspiration techniques, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Rev...

Infertility occurs in up to 54% of men with bilateral undescended testes. Orchiectomy is considered the best therapeutic approach, especially when cryptorchidism is diagnosed in adulthood, due to a high risk of malignancy. A 33-year-old man was referred with a clinical presentation of empty scrotum and an ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imag...

: An adequate hemostatic balance is mandatory to get successful pregnancy. Obstetric complications, such as recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), might be due to an impairment of placental perfusion possibly related to an underlying prothrombotic status. In this study, we used the global coagulation assay, calibrated automated thrombography and tradition...

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the correlation between endometrioma-associated pain and lesion vascularization as measured with 3-dimensional power Doppler transvaginal sonography. Methods: Endometriomas were examined, and 4 indices were obtained: mean grayness, flow index, vascularization index, and vascularization-flow...

The standard FSH treatment is based on a 3 months period, after which both quantitative/qualitative improvement of sperm parameters and increased pregnancy rate were reported. In this prospective clinical trial, for the first time, we studied (i) Sperm hyaluronic acid binding capacity after highly purified FSH (hpFSH) treatment; (ii) the effect aft...

Background: The study aimed to examine all available evidence regarding primary vaginal cancer arising from endometriosis from an evidence-based perspective. Methods: A literature search in Medline and EMBASE databases was conducted. The following key words were employed: 'vaginal cancer' AND 'endometriosis malignant transformation' OR 'endometr...

Purpose Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare heritable heterogenous disorder characterized by bone fragility and susceptibility to fractures with a wide spectrum of clinical expression due to defects in collagen type I biosynthesis. The purpose of the review is to highlight the practical norms in pregnancies with osteogenesis imperfecta. Methods...

Interstitial pregnancy is an ectopic pregnancy at high hemorrhagic risk. It often poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the clinician, with a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. It presents a difficult management problem with no absolute standard of care; the most appropriate treatment technique for these pregnancies remains cont...

Behçet’s syndrome (BS) shows characteristic genital ulceration. The endocrine, vascular, and immunological changes that occur in pregnancy produce local modification. BS in pregnancy can be exacerbated and specific lesions can erupt, but generally the disease course is unpredictable and variable from one patient to another. Clinical and therapeutic...