Low biomass microbiome has an increasing importance in today's fertility studies. There are more and more indications for incorporating upper gynecological tract microbiome content in patients diagnostic and in vitro fertilization process, as doing so may help to evaluate chances for a positive outcome. An abnormal endometrial microbiota has been associated with implantation failure, pregnancy loss, and other gynecological and obstetrical conditions. Furthermore it has been shown, that using molecular methods in addition to routine diagnostics may help diagnose chronic endometritis or even indicate cancerogenic changes. Understanding the significance of microbiome in endometrium may completely change therapeutic approach in treatment of this part of reproductive tract. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed to isolate culturable and unculturable bacteria from female reproductive tract and is a cheaper and quicker alternative for other widely known and used methods.

The blastocyst expresses paternally derived alloantigens and induces inflammation during implantation. However, it is necessary for the onset of pregnancy. An abnormal response might result in a pathological course of pregnancy or pregnancy failure. On the other hand, a state of maternal immune tolerance is necessary to ensure the normal development of pregnancy by suppressing inflammatory processes. This article discusses recognized mechanisms and the significance of inflammatory processes for embryo implantation and pregnancy establishment. We would also like to present disorders involving excessive inflammatory response and their influence on events occurring during embryo implantation. The chain of correlation between the processes responsible for embryo implantation and the subsequent physiological course of pregnancy is complicated. Many of those interrelationships are still yet to be discovered. Undoubtedly, their recognition will give hope to infertile couples for the emergence of new treatments that will increase the chance of giving birth to a healthy child.

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Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a widely used and accepted treatment of choice for oocyte fertilization. However, the quality of sperm selection depends on the accurate visualization of the morphology, which can be achieved with a high image resolution. We aim to correct the conviction, shown in a myriad of publications, that an ultra-high magnification in the range of 6000×–10,000× can be achieved with an optical microscope. The goal of observing sperm under the microscope is not to simply get a larger image, but rather to obtain more detail—therefore, we indicate that the optical system’s resolution is what should be primarily considered. We provide specific microscope system setup recommendations sufficient for most clinical cases that are based on our experience showing that the optical resolution of 0.5 μm allows appropriate visualization of sperm defects. Last but not least, we suggest that mixed research results regarding the clinical value of IMSI, comparing to ICSI, can stem from a lack of standardization of microscopy techniques used for both ICSI and IMSI.

Summary. The elimination of 1 ml Cr5‐1labelled, D‐positive, ABO‐compatible foetal erythrocytes by 200 μg of intravenously applied immunoglobulin G anti‐D was followed in 9 d‐negative probands. The red cells were quickly removed to the spleen, resulting in an erythrocyte half‐time of between 3 and 6 h. Deposition in other organs was not observed. None of the probands showed active formation of anti‐D antibody at 3 and 7 month afterwards. The intravenously applicable immunoglobulin G anti‐D therefore compares favourably with other preparations currently in use for intramuscular application. The mode of action of antibody mediated suppression of the immune response is discussed.