The 8th European congress of Reproductive Immunology of the European Society of Reproductive Immunology organized by the European Society of Reproductive and Developmental Immunology (ESRADI) was held in Munich, Bavaria, Germany on November 11-13, 2010

The scientific program of the Congress covered 16 in total keynote and plenary lectures as well as 34 selected oral presentations. There was also an “Young investigator award” competition organized by the Elsevier publishing house. The poster session “Clinical application of reproductive immunology investigations” was held in parallel with the 24^th Congress of the German IVF Centers.

In this Congress on the behalf of IBIR - BAS following participants in the ReProForce Project took place, presenting 3 posters: Assoc. prof. Maria Ivanova and Dr. Julieta Dineva:  

• Dineva J., I.Vangelov, V.Terzieva, D.Gulenova, D.Nikolov, M.Ivanova. The  immunosuppressive role of ANP in preovulatory human follicle
• Vangelov I., J.Dineva, K.Todorova, Ts.Stefanova, G.Nikolov, D.Gulenova, M.Ivanova. Relationship of follicular fluid nitric oxide concentration with the sperm steroid (progesterone and estradiol) levels, apoptosis of granulose luteinized cells and the outcomes after COH/IVF.

There was another poster presented on the behalf of the IBIR-BAS and the ReProForce Project respectively:

• Mollova M., M.Stamenova, S.Zaprjanova, Y.Martinova, P.Rashev, R.Dimitrov. Developmental and cell type-specific expression  of α,B crystalline (α,B-cry) in mouse testis and epididymis

There was significant scientific interest demonstrated towards the research data presented by the Institute associates, by both - the Scientific Commission (Prof.Ch.Scholz and Prof.B.Toth), and distinct members of the Reproductive Immunology Research Community such as Prof.S.Saito, Prof.V. Chernishov,  Prof. N.Fernandez,  and Dr. Z.Ulchova-Galova, as well as by many young researchers.

The presented key lectures and selected oral presentassions: T-cell tolerance and memory section; Th1/Th2 immune response to pregnancy;  Beyond Th1/Th2-leucocyte polarization in pregnancy; Pregnancy induced expansion of regulatory T-cells; Follicular fluids   immunological fingerprints and infertility;  Reproductive corticotrophin releasing hormone, implantation and fetal immunotolerance, IL -33 and ST2 in pregnancy failure;  Predicting preeclampsia- an immunological approach;  Uterine NK- cells and hormonal receptors; The deciduas-trophoblast dialogue in implantation;  TLR signaling and sertoli cells;  Placenta specific-microRNAs in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia; Microparticles and reproduction- immunologic implications would be the basis of further perspective investigations in the field of Reproductive Immunology.

The General Assembly of ESRI was held on 12^th of November, 2010 and it announced the results of the secret Ballot of the ESRI Board.

All materials related to the 8^th European Congress of Reproductive Immunology are available at the site of Journal of Reproductive Immunology Volume 86, Issue 2, Pages 75-158 (November 2010)