The Power of Observation Journal Articles

abstract

• Citation 
Clark DA. The power of observation. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011; 66: 71–75Problem  In the golden age of evidence‐based medicine, how should one view the cohort‐controlled study of IVIG + anti‐TNF‐α (Humira) in recurrent in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure patients with an elevated Th1/Th2 cytokine production ratio.Method  Critical analysis of the nature of evidence for causation.Results A better delivery rate and a live birth rate per embryo approaching the estimated maximum possible in patients whose elevated Th1/Th2 ratio corrected to normal compared to those with an incomplete correction is a strong argument for causation. A maximal improvement when treatment was given 61–120 days before embryo transfer suggests a possible mechanism via improving the physiology during follicle development.Conclusion  Independent replication to verify results would augment power.

authors

• Clark, David Alexander

status

• published 

publication date

• August 2011

has subject area

• Female (MeSH)
• Fertilization in Vitro (MeSH)
• Humans (MeSH)
• Infertility, Female (MeSH)
• Interleukin-10 (MeSH)
• T-Lymphocytes (MeSH)
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (MeSH)

published in

• Early pregnancy : biology and medicine : the official journal of the Society for the Investigation of Early Pregnancy  Journal

keywords

• Female
• Fertilization in Vitro
• Humans
• Infertility, Female
• Interleukin-10
• T-Lymphocytes
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2010.00963.x

PubMed ID

• 21736661

start page

• 71

end page

• 75

volume

• 66

issue

• 2