title: Improving posttransplantation survival of human ovarian tissue by treating the host and graft.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To improve posttransplantation survival of frozen-thawed human ovarian tissue in immunodeficient mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Histologic study of transplanted human ovaries after treating the host and graft.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infertility unit, university-affiliated tertiary medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovarian tissue from six girls/women (aged 5-23 years) who had undergone ovarian laparoscopy for fertility preservation.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thawed ovarian samples were transplanted into the back muscle of immunodeficient mice divided into four groups: A) no treatment; B) host treatment with vitamin E and gonadotropins before and after grafting; C) graft incubation with vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and vitamin E before transplantation; and D) host as in B, graft as in C. Ungrafted thawed samples served as control. Assessment of graft survival was conducted by follicle counts, apoptosis evaluation, immunohistochemical stainings for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and VEGF-A expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only grafts incubated before transplantation (groups C and D) retained their original size. Follicle number was low in all grafts. PCNA expression was found in most grafts. Apoptosis was significantly lower in the untreated and treated grafts transplanted into treated hosts (groups B and D) than in ungrafted-thawed samples and group A grafts. All grafted groups had significantly higher expression of VEGF-A than ungrafted-thawed samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival of transplanted human ovarian tissue may be improved by treatment of the host and graft. Further studies to evaluate treatments with a potential benefit in human ovarian autotransplantation are needed.
authors.affiliation: Infertility and IVF Unit, Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach Tikva, Israel. ronita@clalit.org.il
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abir
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fisch
authors.forename: Shlomit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jessel
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Felz
authors.forename: Avi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben-Haroush
authors.forename: Raoul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orvieto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology*; D058507:Host Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation*; D014022:Tissue Survival / Q000276:immunology*; D016378:Tissue Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A