Soluble IL-6 receptor levels in the seminal plasma of infertile patients with accessory gland infection

The aim of this study was to confirm the presence of soluble interleukin-6 receptor (SIL-6R) in seminal plasma, to show eventual differences between SIL-6R concentrations in fertile and infertile men, and to evaluate the possible value of measuring these substances for the diagnosis of male accessory gland infection. SIL-6R levels were determined by "sandwich" enzyme immunoassay in the seminal plasma of 82 men divided into 7 groups according to the etiological diagnosis of fertility. The levels of SIL-6R in the seminal plasma of men with infection of the accessory genital glands were statistically significantly different in comparison with other groups (p < .001). The results suggest that urogenital infections may lead to elevated levels of SIL-6R in the seminal plasma. This measurement of SIL-6R in semen may provide clinically useful information for the diagnosis of male accessory gland infection.     

K-ras mutations and HPV infection in cervicitis and intraepithelial neoplasias of the cervix.

Activation of ras genes and human papilloma virus (HPV) infection have been extensively described in cervical carcinomas while information concerning their implication in premalignant lesions of the cervix is limited. We investigated the incidence of K-ras codon 12 point mutations and HPV infection in cases of cervicitis and cervical intraepithelial neoplasias (CIN). Forty-seven cases of women with cervicitis or CIN were examined for the presence of K-ras mutations and HPV infection using PCR-RFLP methodology. Furthermore, HPV typing was carried out in HPV positive samples by multiplex PCR. K-ras mutations were detected in 7/47 cases (15%) while HPV genome was found in 17/47 cases (36%). HPV typing revealed HPV-18 at a higher rate than HPV-16 (71% vs 29%). No statistically significant association was observed between the presence of K-ras mutations, HPV infection and clinical parameters or smoking-alcohol habits. Our results suggest that mutational activation of K-ras gene is implicated in the development of premalignant cervical lesions and HPV infection may be an important step in the development of premalignant cervical lesions.     

High-dose misoprostol used in outpatient management of first trimester spontaneous abortion

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of a high dose of vaginal misoprostol for outpatient medical management of missed abortion.Methods Three doses of 400 g misoprostol were administered intravaginally every 4 h daily, for a maximum period of 3 days, to 108 women with uneventful first trimester pregnancy failure.Results A total of 98 women (90.7%) were managed successfully, with 74 (68.5%) of them within the first 24 h. The mean dose of misoprostol administered was 1,113.0 g (range 400–3,600 g), and the mean time required was 19.5 h (range 7–65 h). Only 6 out of 108 women (9.3%) required surgical intervention as the result of retained products of conception. The side effect profile was minimal.Conclusion This protocol of 400 g intravaginally misoprostol every 4 h as three daily doses for a maximum of 3 days, may offer an efficacious and safe alternative to the outpatient management of first-trimester missed abortion.     

Apoptosis and differential expression of apoptosis-related proteins in endometriotic glandular and stromal cells

OBJECTIVE: Apoptosis is an important regulator of eutopic endometrial function. Endometriosis, the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, could result from increased cellular proliferation or decreased apoptosis in response to appropriate stimuli. The objective of this study was to evaluate the rate of apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis-related Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in endometriotic tissues within the glandular and stromal compartments, according to the phase of the menstrual cycle and the stage of disease. METHODS: Ovarian endometriosis samples were evaluated in 75 women who had surgery at a university hospital. Apoptotic cells were detected with the use of the dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Bcl-2 and Bax expression were assessed by immunohistochemical techniques. RESULTS: The percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in endometriotic stromal cells (73.3%) compared with glandular cells (48%; P =.002). In contrast, the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax was significantly lower in the endometriotic stroma (17.3% for both) than in the glandular epithelium (38.6% and 41.3%, respectively; P <.004). No significant menstrual cycle phase-dependent changes or endometriosis stage-related changes were observed in TUNEL, Bcl-2, or Bax positivity within ovarian endometriotic tissues. CONCLUSION: Apoptosis occurs in ovarian endometriotic lesions at significantly higher levels in the stroma than the glandular epithelium. However, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins are distributed preferentially in glandular epithelial cells. The apoptotic rate as well as Bcl-2 and Bax expression in ovarian endometriotic cells were not affected by the stage of endometriosis or the phase of the menstrual cycle.     

Effects of a physical activity program. The study of selected physical abilities among elderly women

This study evaluated the effects of a 12-week exercise program on the physical abilities of 55 sedentary women ages 60 to 75. The variables tested were dynamic balances, muscular endurance, sit and reach flexibility, and muscular coordination. Participants were grouped into three exercise groups (n = 45) and one control group (n = 10). Exercise was performed for 1 hour, once, twice, and three times a week for the three experimental groups. Participants were pre- and post-tested for the selected variables. Significant differences (p < .05) were found between exercise and non-exercise groups. The main effects of the training program were significant for all four variables examined, indicating that even those who participated in an exercise group once a week had a significantly higher levels of physical abilities than the control group. The improvement of the experimental groups was proportional to the frequency of the training program applied.     

Complete cytogenetic investigation of oocytes from a young cancer patient with the use of comparative genomic hybridisation reveals meiotic errors

OBJECTIVES: The complete cytogenetic investigation of human oocytes and the corresponding first polar bodies (PBs) derived from an 18-year old female cancer patient. METHODS: A whole-genome amplification method combined with comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) was employed for the analysis of 14 oocytes and their corresponding first PBs. RESULTS: Chromosome abnormalities were detected in two oocyte-PB complexes. One oocyte had lost X-chromosome material (23,X,-Xcht), while its corresponding first PB showed the reciprocal gain (23,X,+Xcht). Double aneuploidy involving loss of chromatids for chromosomes X and 21 was identified in another first PB (23,X,-21cht,-Xcht). Aneuploidy was attributed to unbalanced pre-division of chromatids at meiosis I. CONCLUSIONS: Meiotic errors in chromosome segregation can occur even in oocytes derived from young women, confirming the existence of age-independent factors contributing to aneuploidy. Such factors are of relevance to fertility, miscarriage and preimplantation aneuploidy screening for the purposes of increasing IVF success rates. The reliability of CGH in examining the whole chromosome complement of a single cell and of being able to detect chromatid anomalies is confirmed by this study.