Nicholas Cataldo

• MD, MPH
• University of Alabama at Birmingham

Context: Experimental evidence supports a relevance of vitamin D (VitD) for reproduction; data in humans are however sparse and inconsistent. Objective: To assess relationship of VitD status with ovulation induction (OI) outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design: Retrospective cohort Setting: Secondary analysis of randomi...

Introduction Prevention of tubal factor infertility (TFI) is a primary objective of chlamydia prevention programs. This study aimed to describe TFI epidemiology in infertility clinic patients. Methods Data were analysed from one site of an ongoing two-site study. Medical record data from infertile (unable to conceive for ≥12 months, no history of t...

To determine the proportion of euthyroid women attending a fertility practice who develop hypothyroidism in very early pregnancy (gestational hypothyroidism [GHT]), and to examine the association of GHT with exogenous gonadotropin treatment. Retrospective cohort study. A private reproductive medicine practice. All healthy women (N = 94) with infert...

STUDY QUESTION Do women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) seeking fertility treatment report smoking accurately and does participation in infertility treatment alter smoking? SUMMARY ANSWER Self-report of smoking in infertile women with PCOS is accurate (based on serum cotinine levels) and smoking is unlikely to change over time with infertili...

Many women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) experience infertility and hirsutism and often seek treatment for both concurrently. We investigated whether women who ovulate in response to treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, or both would have greater improvement in hirsutism compared with those who did not ovulate. This is a secondary...

To estimate whether progestin-induced endometrial shedding, before ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate, metformin, or a combination of both, affects ovulation, conception, and live birth rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A secondary analysis of the data from 626 women with PCOS from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National In...

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is common to insulin-resistant states such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Metformin (MET) is often used to treat PCOS but information is limited as to its effects on liver function. We sought to determine the effects of MET on serum hepatic parameters in PCOS patients. This was a secondary analysis of a random...

There is no standardized assay of testosterone in women. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS) has been proposed as the preferable assay by an Endocrine Society Position Statement. The aim was to compare assay results from a direct RIA with two LC/MS. We conducted a blinded laboratory study including masked duplicate samples at three labo...

Two professional medical societies used expert opinion as the basis for their recommendation that current first-line treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related infertility should be ovulation induction with the selective estrogen receptor modulator, clomiphene citrate (CC), for up to 6 ovulatory cycles, with the addition of the insulin s...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility. The selection of first-line therapies for ovulation induction is empiric. The aim of the study was to develop a clinically useful predictive model of live birth with varying ovulation induction methods. We built four prognostic models from a large multicenter rand...

To investigate the relationship among intercourse compliance, ovulation, and the occurrence of pregnancy in the Reproductive Medicine Network's Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (RMNPPCOS) Trial. Post hoc data analysis of subjects in the Reproductive Medicine Network PPCOS Trial. Academic medical centers. None. Six hundred twenty-six infertile...

To investigate the relationship between body mass index and intercourse compliance in the Reproductive Medicine Network's Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (RMN PPCOS) Trial. Post hoc data analysis of subjects in the RMN PPCOS Trial. Academic medical centers. None. Six hundred twenty-six infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) wi...

We investigated whether poor adherence with metformin tablets may have contributed to the poor success rates seen in the metformin-containing arms of the Pregnancy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PPCOS) Trial. Median adherence for both metformin and clomiphene citrate tablets was within acceptable limits and unrelated to ovulation: thus, failure to c...

When used for ovulation induction, higher doses of clomiphene may lead to antiestrogenic side effects that reduce fecundity. It has been suggested that metformin in combination with clomiphene can restore ovulation to some clomiphene-resistant anovulators with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Our objective was to determine if cotreatment with exte...

Clomiphene and insulin sensitizers such as metformin are used to induce ovulation in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the ovulatory response is variable, and the causes of this variation are poorly understood. Our objective was to identify predictive genetic polymorphisms and other determinants of ovulatory response. This was a substudy of a m...

The polycystic ovary syndrome is a common cause of infertility. Clomiphene and insulin sensitizers are used alone and in combination to induce ovulation, but it is unknown whether one approach is superior. We randomly assigned 626 infertile women with the polycystic ovary syndrome to receive clomiphene citrate plus placebo, extended-release metform...

To report the baseline characteristics and racial differences in the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotype from a large multicenter clinical trial (PPCOS). Double-blind, randomized trial of three treatment regimens (with extended release metformin or clomiphene citrate). Academic medical centers. Six hundred twenty-six infertile women with PCO...

Insulin sensitizers have favourable metabolic and ovarian effects in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study examined rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione, in PCOS. In a prospective, open-label study, the effects of rosiglitazone on metabolism and ovarian function were examined in 42 non-diabetic women with PCOS classified according to the Natio...

To evaluate the impact of estrogen and estrogen plus progesterone hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) on mild-to-moderate sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in postmenopausal women. Within-subjects, progesterone placebo-controlled prospective HRT trial in a clinical laboratory. Six postmenopausal women, diagnosed with mild-moderate SDB. Transdermal est...

To determine the metabolic and reproductive effectiveness of rosiglitazone in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Case report. Academic clinical practice and General Clinical Research Center. A 25-year-old woman with PCOS. Rosiglitazone maleate, 4 mg daily for 5 months until conception. Insulin sensitivity by steady-state plasma glucose technique; se...

Both Fas (APO-1, CD95), an apoptosis-inducing receptor, and its ligand, Fas ligand (FasL, CD95L), have been localized to the ovary. Granulosa cell apoptosis occurs in antral follicular atresia. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), antral follicles accumulate with some atretic features. The ovarian expression of Fas and FasL was examined in PCOS by...

I. Introduction II. Insulin and Insulin Receptor A. Structures of insulin and insulin receptor B. Presence of insulin and insulin receptor in the ovary C. Insulin action and the ovary D. Summary III. IGFs and Their Receptors A. IGF peptides and receptors B. Expression of IGFs and IGF receptors in the ovary C. Role of IGFs in ovulatory function and...

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding proteins (IGFBPs) antagonize IGF and gonadotropin actions on granulosa cells. Human atretic follicles express IGFBP-2 in granulosa cells more strongly and contain higher levels of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 than healthy follicles. We studied the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) and activin A, which decrease...

The primary function of the human ovary, the production of fertilizable gametes, is essential to the survival of the human species. Traditionally, ovarian gametogenesis has been viewed as intricate and delicately balanced, but recent information suggests that, although intricate, this process may be governed by multiple parallel, redundant systems,...

The remarkably coordinated changes that occur in the female reproductive system during the menstrual cycle are unparalleled by any other integrated organ system in the body. The predictable and precise cyclic changes in this system set the stage for ovulation of generally a single oocyte from the ovary, its fertilization, nourishment, and transport...

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins are produced by ovarian follicular cells and can oppose the effects of the IGFs and gonadotropins on these cells. Since polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by disordered follicular development, with the accumulation of antral follicles within the ovary which fail to respond appropria...

GH increases circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), which can promote the growth and differentiated function of ovarian granulosa and theca cells. Reported studies of GH as an adjunct to menotropin stimulation in women, largely those with ovarian dysfunction, have not consistently shown a benefit of GH, despite increases in serum and fol...

Throughout fetal and adult life, the balance of cell proliferation and cell death determines the size of cell populations in tissues throughout the body. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is the physiologic process of cell deletion. Cell death is critical in morphogenesis in the embryo and fetus as well as in maintaining tissue homeostasis in th...

Follicular development within the ovary (Fig. 15.1) is independent of gonadotropin action until the early antral stage. after which growth and steroidogenesis are dependent upon the presence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) (1, 2). During the luteal-follicular transition and under FSH action, follicular recruitment...

IGFs function as co-gonadotropins in the ovary, facilitating steroidogenesis and follicle growth. IGFBP-1 to -5 are expressed in human ovary and mostly inhibit IGF action in in vitro ovarian cell culture systems. In the clinical disorder of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized by hyperandrogenemia, polycystic ovaries and anovu...

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II, IGF receptors, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) are all present within the human follicle, and IGF-II is produced by granulosa cells (GC). IGFs augment gonadotropin stimulated steroidogenesis by both theca and granulosa cells in culture. All known IGFBP species except IGFBP-6 antagonize the actions of...

Activin-A decreases progesterone secretion and aromatase activity in cultured human luteinizing granulosa cells. Follistatin is a binding protein for activin and inhibin produced by granulosa cells and present in follicular fluid. The present study examines the hypothesis that follistatin reverses the actions of activin-A on human granulosa cells....

Activin-A decreases progesterone secretion and aromatase activity in cultured human luteinizing granulosa cells. Follistatin is a binding protein for activin and inhibin produced by granulosa cells and present in follicular fluid. The present study examines the hypothesis that follistatin reverses the actions of activin-A on human granulosa cells....

Normal and abnormal follicular growth and steroidogenesis depend on gonadotropins as well as intraovarian peptide and polypeptide growth factors, which may mediate or potentiate gonadotropin action. Epidermal growth factor is mitogenic to ovarian granulosa and is a potent inhibitor of granulosa aromatase. It may be involved in the apparent arrest o...

A serum-free medium has been developed which supports in vitro function by ovarian cells derived from rat, monkey, and human tissue. This granulosa cell medium (GCM) consists of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium: Ham's F-12 medium (1:1, v:v) supplemented with insulin, transferrin, aprotinin, selenium, fibronectin, penicillin, and streptomycin. Ova...

The production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins (IGFBPs) by human luteinizing granulosa cells obtained at oocyte harvest for in vitro fertilization was studied in defined medium. Three species of IGFBP were noted on Western ligand blotting of conditioned medium. A 31-33 kilodalton (kDa) doublet identified as IGFBP-2 by immunopre...

The production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding proteins (IGFBPs) by human luteinizing granulosa cells obtained at oocyte harvest for in vitro fertilization was studied in defined medium. Three species of IGFBP were noted on Western ligand blotting of conditioned medium. A 31-33 kilodalton (kDa) doublet identified as IGFBP-2 by immunopre...

The insulin-like growth factors (IGF), IGF-I and IGF-II, influence ovarian follicular development. The IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) comprise at least six distinct species which may modulate IGF action. We examined IGFBP profiles in follicular fluid (FF) from developing human ovarian follicles with aromatase activity as well as from androgen-domina...

A case is reported of ectopic pregnancy occurring within an ovary with the morphologic appearance of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The hyperandrogenism and elevated LH/FSH ratio characteristic of PCOS were noted 2 months after removal of the ovarian gestation. The thickened ovarian cortex of the PCOS ovary and a defect in oocyte-cumulus complex...

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are believed to modulate the actions of IGF-I and IGF-II at the cellular level. We have examined, by Western ligand blot analysis, the IGFBP profiles in follicular fluid (FF) from patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (a disorder of ovarian folliculogenesis), compared to FF from atretic and d...

Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are believed to modulate the actions of IGF-I and IGF-II at the cellular level. We have examined, by Western ligand blot analysis, the IGFBP profiles in follicular fluid (FF) from patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (a disorder of ovarian folliculogenesis), compared to FF from atretic and d...

A case of persistently elevated serum hCG after linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy was noteworthy because laparoscopy 45 days after an initial laparotomy revealed a trophoblastic implant on the uterine fundal serosa. Cautery of the implant led to a rapid decline of serum hCG levels. This is the first report of a pelvic trophoblastic implant...

The effect of thyroid hormones and thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) on prolactin (PRL) secretion has been studied using a primary calf anterior pituitary cell culture system. After mechanical and enzymatic dispersion, cultured pituitary cells were preincubated with T3 or T4 for 48 hr prior to a 24 hr experimental incubation. T3 stimulated the re...