Comparison of serum level of some trace elements and vitamin D between patients with premenstrual syndrome and normal controls: A cross-sectional study

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common problem among women and is identified by reversal emotional, psychological, and physical signs during the luteal phase. These signs, however, lower down in the follicular phase. The cause of PMS isn’t very well-known up to now control group and many researchers have suggested that mineral compounds and vitamins can inhibit these symptoms. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the serum level of some trace elements and vitamin D between normal controls and patients with PMS. Materials and Methods: 300 female students (19–21 yr old) from Falavarjan County were randomly selected and asked to complete a standard questionnaire on PMS during three menstruation cycles. The students were divided into two groups: healthy persons (control) and PMS persons, and PMS was determined on the basis of the answers to the questionnaire. Thereafter, the serum concentrations of zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and Vitamin D3 were measured and compared between the two groups. Results: Our results showed that the PMS prevalence was about 41.5%. The level of vitamin D decreased in both the control and PMS groups, with a significantly lower range of vitamin D (p 0.05) in the PMS group. Other factors had no significant change between the two groups. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was probably one of the most important causes of unpleasant symptoms of PMS between these students. Key words: Premenstrual syndrome, Trace elements, Vitamin D

Effects of assisted oocyte activation with calcium- ionophore and strontium chloride on in vitro ICSI outcomes

Objective(s): Failed fertilization after intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is mainly attributed to failed oocyte activation and can be overcome by artificial oocyte activation (AOA). The present study aims to compare in vitro outcomes of ICSI following two different assisted oocyte activation chemical procedures (SrCl2 and Ionomycin) in sibling oocytes of ICSI candidates.Materials and Methods: From March 2015 until February 2016, 105 infertile men with 99–100% abnormal sperm morphology, irrespective of sperm motility, concentration, or origin (semen or testicular) were included in this study. Out of these, 66 couples accepted to be included in the study group (Ionomycin/ SrCl2) and 39 couples requested routine AOA procedure (Ionomycin) as external control group. Primary outcomes of this study (fertilization, embryo quality, and post-implantation development) were compared between these groups.Results: Significantly higher oocyte activation (67.90±3.6% vs. 51.16±3.6%, P=0.004) and fertilization (65.23±3.63% vs. 49.65±3.63%, P=0.008) rates were observed in sibling oocytes treated with Ionomycin in comparison to the SrCl2 sibling group. Percentage of top quality embryos was insignificantly higher in SrCl2 groups compared to the Ionomycin group (29.90±4.27 vs. 20.65±4.05%, P=0.26).Conclusion: Ionomycin may be superior to SrCl2 for inducing oocyte activation. However, SrCl2 may be a more efficient means to support the development of better quality embryos following ICSI

Comparison of Serum Level of Some Trace Elements and Vitamin D Between Patients with Premenstrual Syndrome and Normal Controls: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common problem among women and is identified by reversal emotional, psychological, and physical signs during the luteal phase. These signs, however, lower down in the follicular phase. The cause of PMS isn't very well-known up to now control group and many researchers have suggested that mineral compounds and vitamins can inhibit these symptoms. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the serum level of some trace elements and vitamin D between normal controls and patients with PMS. Materials and Methods: 300 female students (19–21 yr old) from Falavarjan County were randomly selected and asked to complete a standard questionnaire on PMS during three menstruation cycles. The students were divided into two groups: healthy persons (control) and PMS persons, and PMS was determined on the basis of the answers to the questionnaire. Thereafter, the serum concentrations of zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and Vitamin D3 were measured and compared between the two groups. Results: Our results showed that the PMS prevalence was about 41.5%. The level of vitamin D decreased in both the control and PMS groups, with a significantly lower range of vitamin D (p 0.05) in the PMS group. Other factors had no significant change between the two groups. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency was probably one of the most important causes of unpleasant symptoms of PMS between these students. Key words: Premenstrual syndrome, Trace elements, Vitamin D