The 6th conference traditionally entitled PLEVEN IMMUNOLOGICAL DAYS was held on April 27th – 29th, 2012 in Pleven and was organized by organization committee headed by associate professor Emiliana Konova, MD, PhD.

A specific feature of the present conference was that specialists from different medical specialties took part – reproductive immunology, reproductive endocrinology, medical genetics, andrology, neonatology, reproductive psychology. Participation of specialists from different disciplines was truly justified because of the multidisciplinary approach which was applied for diagnostics and treatment of infertility by assisted reproductive techniques.
The structure of the conference program were included four working groups for discussions and preparation of criteria for national consensus about sperm analysis, diagnostics of Chlamydia infections, genetic tests for the assisted reproduction and diagnostics and treatment of inborn or acquired thrombophilia in infertile patients.

Participants in this conference were predominantly medical doctors from university hospitals, specialized clinics, medical centers for reproductive medicine most of them directly engaged with treatment of infertile patients. Representatives of the team of the ReProForce project were also among the participants at these conference and they were associate-professor Margarita Mollova, coordinator of the project, associate professor Maria Stamenova, professor Stanimir Kyurkchiev. The conference was opened after welcome addresses from professor Dimitar Stoikov, the Mayor of Pleven, professor Grigor Gorchev, rector of the Medical University Pleven and other official persons.

The scientific program started with session on reproductive immunology, chaired by prof. S. Kyurkchiev. At this session a lecture was delivered by co-authors team including assoc. prof. M. Mourdjeva, member of the ReProFroce project team devoted on the effects of reproductive steroid hormones (progesterone) on the alterations of the immune response induced via immunomodulation. Prof. Kyurkchiev presented a plenary report devoted on the mechanisms of the repeated implantation failures (RIF) and particularly on the dysfunctions of the endometrium in RIF which is observed quite commonly in infertile patients treated by IVF procedures. Assoc. prof. M. Mollova presented the two major projects developed in the Institue of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction and namely “Building up a center for research on problems with the reproductive healthy” financed by the Ministry of education, youth and science and “Strengthening the research capacity of the Bulgarian Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction” financed by FP7 of the European Union (ReProForce project). It was pointed out that there are good opportunities to conduct detailed scientific investigations on different problems of the reproductive medicine using contemporary research technies and equipment. A special attention was paid to the development of joint research projects with specialists from different clinics and centers for reproductive medicine on problems which will improve the diagnostics and the treatment of infertility.

The presentation of the team members of the ReProForce project were discussed with great interest by the present physicians and some details were discussed for direct contacts between physicians and certain specialists from the Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The participation in the work of the 6th Conference “Reproductive Medicine 2012 – contradictions and consensuses” in Pleven war very useful for the dissemination of the achievements of the ReProForce project and its financing by FP7 in front of a broad profecional community consisting of physicians from different hospitals, clinics and centers for assisted reproduction.