Maternal self-reported polycystic ovary syndrome with offspring and maternal cardiometabolic outcomes

STUDY QUESTION

Do children born to mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have an adverse cardiometabolic profile including arterial stiffness at 9 years of age compared to other children?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Children of mothers with PCOS did not have differing cardiometabolic outcomes than children without exposure.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

While women with PCOS themselves have higher risk of cardiometabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes, the evidence on intergenerational impact is unclear. Given in utero sequalae of PCOS (e.g. hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance), the increased risk could be to both boys and girls.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

The Upstate KIDS cohort is a population-based birth cohort established in 2008-2010 to prospectively study the impact of infertility treatment on children's health. After ∼10 years of follow-up, 446 mothers and their 556 children attended clinical visits to measure blood pressure (BP), heart rate, arterial stiffness by pulse wave velocity (PWV), mean arterial pressure, lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and anthropometrics.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Women self-reported ever diagnoses of PCOS ∼4 months after delivery of their children in 2008-2010. Linear regression models applying generalized estimating equations to account for correlation within twins were used to examine associations with each childhood cardiometabolic outcome.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

In this cohort with women oversampled on infertility treatment, ∼14% of women reported a PCOS diagnosis (n = 61). We observed similarities in BP, heart rate, PWV, lipids, hsCRP, HbA1c, and anthropometry (P-values >0.05) among children born to mothers with and without PCOS. Associations did not differ by child sex.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The sample size of women with PCOS precluded further separation of subgroups (e.g. by hirsutism). The population-based approach relied on self-reported diagnosis of maternal PCOS even though self-report has been found to be valid. Participants were predominantly non-Hispanic White and a high proportion were using fertility treatment due to the original design. Differences in cardiometabolic health may be apparent later in age, such as after puberty.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our results provide some reassurance that cardiometabolic factors do not differ in children of women with and without self-reported PCOS during pregnancy.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

Supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, United States (contracts #HHSN275201200005C, #HHSN267200700019C, #HHSN275201400013C, #HHSN275201300026I/27500004, #HHSN275201300023I/27500017). The authors have no conflicts of interest.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03106493.

Pediatric oncofertility care in limited versus optimum resource settings: results from 39 surveyed centers in Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II

PURPOSE

As a secondary report to elucidate the diverse spectrum of oncofertility practices for childhood cancer around the globe, we present and discuss the comparisons of oncofertility practices for childhood cancer in limited versus optimum resource settings based on data collected in the Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II.

METHODS

We surveyed 39 oncofertility centers including 14 in limited resource settings from Africa, Asia, and Latin America (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I), and 25 in optimum resource settings from the USA, Europe, Australia, and Japan (Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part II). Survey questions covered the availability of fertility preservation and restoration options offered in case of childhood cancer as well as their degree of utilization.

RESULTS

In the Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II, responses for childhood cancer and calculated oncofertility scores showed the following characteristics: (1) higher oncofertility scores in optimum resource settings than in limited resource settings for ovarian and testicular tissue cryopreservation; (2) frequent utilization of gonadal shielding, fractionation of anticancer therapy, oophoropexy, and GnRH analogs; (3) promising utilization of oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM); and (4) rare utilization of neoadjuvant cytoprotective pharmacotherapy, artificial ovary, in vitro spermatogenesis, and stem cells reproductive technology as they are still in preclinical or early clinical research settings.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on Repro-Can-OPEN Study Part I & II, we presented a plausible oncofertility best practice model to help optimize care for children with cancer in various resource settings. Special ethical concerns should be considered when offering advanced and innovative oncofertility options to children.

A synopsis of global frontiers in fertility preservation

Since 2007, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference has brought together a diverse network of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and professional levels to disseminate emerging basic and clinical research findings in fertility preservation. This network also developed enduring educational materials to accelerate the pace and quality of field-wide scientific communication. Between 2007 and 2019, the Oncofertility Consortium Annual Conference was held as an in-person event in Chicago, IL. The conference attracted approximately 250 attendees each year representing 20 countries around the world. In 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted this paradigm and precluded an in-person meeting. Nevertheless, there remained an undeniable demand for the oncofertility community to convene. To maintain the momentum of the field, the Oncofertility Consortium hosted a day-long virtual meeting on March 5, 2021, with the theme of "Oncofertility Around the Globe" to highlight the diversity of clinical care and translational research that is ongoing around the world in this discipline. This virtual meeting was hosted using the vFairs ® conference platform and allowed over 700 people to participate, many of whom were first-time conference attendees. The agenda featured concurrent sessions from presenters in six continents which provided attendees a complete overview of the field and furthered our mission to create a global community of oncofertility practice. This paper provides a synopsis of talks delivered at this event and highlights the new advances and frontiers in the fields of oncofertility and fertility preservation around the globe from clinical practice and patient-centered efforts to translational research.

Immunogenicity of a prophylactic quadrivalent human papillomavirus L1 virus-like particle vaccine in male and female adolescent transplant recipients

Organ TX recipients are at an increased risk of developing cancers of the lower genital tract related to HPV. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine has high efficacy in preventing these diseases, but response to many vaccines is suboptimal after organ transplantation. Liver and kidney TX recipients received quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Serum samples were tested for anti-HPV levels. Of 20 renal transplant recipients screened, 14 received vaccine. Of these, seven completed the vaccine series and seven had incomplete vaccination. Of five liver TX children, three received vaccines (two complete and one incomplete). All eight kidney and liver TX children with complete vaccination and available results were seronegative at baseline and had seroconversion at month 7 for all four HPV types. Six of 14 (42.8%) kidney TX recipients developed AR. During the same time period, eight of 28 (28.5%) non-vaccine renal transplant recipients developed AR (p = ns). Transplant adolescents developed 100% seroconversion to all four HPV serotypes with HPV vaccine with serologic titers similar to historic controls. A non-significant increased incidence of AR was noted among kidney transplant vaccine recipients. A much larger study would be needed to evaluate whether HPV vaccination increases AR in transplant adolescents.