Andrology: Effects of sperm activity on zinc and fructose concentrations in seminal plasma

Attempts to correlate zinc and fructose concentrations in seminalplasma with andrological parameters have produced inconsistentresults. To assess further this relationship, a prospectivestudy was performed measuring zinc and fructose concentrationsin seminal plasma in 1178 patients referred for fertility treatmentSeminal analysis was performed with biochemical measurementsof seminal zinc and fructose. The main outcome measures werethe correlation between motile sperm concentration and seminalzinc and fructose concentrations. Zinc concentrations were notinfluenced by the motile sperm concentration (r = 0.039). Fructoseconcentrations were found to be negatively correlated with motilesperm concentration (r = 0.062). We conclude that seminal plasmazinc is an unreliable marker of spermatogenic activity. Whilethere does appear to be a negative correlation between seminalplasma fructose concentrations and motile sperm concentrationthis relationship is far from linear. Due to the biochemicalcomplexity of seminal fluid attempts to perform such simplecorrelations between seminal plasma components and andrologicalparameters are likely to produce inconsistent results and theirrole in the assessment of sperm function must therefore be calledinto question.     

Incidence of diabetes in youth in the United States

Context  Data on the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) among US youth according to racial/ethnic background and DM type are limited. Objective  To estimate DM incidence in youth aged younger than 20 years according to race/ethnicity and DM type. Design, Setting, and Participants  A multiethnic, population-based study (The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study) of 2435 youth with newly diagnosed, nonsecondary DM in 2002 and 2003, ascertained at 10 study locations in the United States, covering a population of more than 10 million person-years. Main Outcome Measure  Incidence rates by age group, sex, race/ethnicity, and DM type were calculated per 100 000 person-years at risk. Diabetes mellitus type (type 1/type 2) was based on health care professional assignment and, in a subset, further characterized with glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) autoantibody and fasting C peptide measures. Results  The incidence of DM (per 100 000 person-years) was 24.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.3-25.3). Among children younger than 10 years, most had type 1 DM, regardless of race/ethnicity. The highest rates of type 1 DM were observed in non-Hispanic white youth (18.6, 28.1, and 32.9 for age groups 0-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years, respectively). Even among older youth (10 years), type 1 DM was frequent among non-Hispanic white, Hispanic, and African American adolescents. Overall, type 2 DM was still relatively infrequent, but the highest rates (17.0 to 49.4 per 100 000 person-years) were documented among 15- to 19-year-old minority groups. Conclusions  Our data document the incidence rates of type 1 DM among youth of all racial/ethnic groups, with the highest rates in non-Hispanic white youth. Overall, type 2 DM is still relatively infrequent; however, the highest rates were observed among adolescent minority populations.      

Regulation of tissue factor and inflammatory mediators by Egr-1 in a mouse endotoxemia model

In septic shock, tissue factor (TF) activates blood coagulation, and cytokines and chemokines orchestrate an inflammatory response. In this study, the role of Egr-1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction of TF and inflammatory mediators in vivo was evaluated using Egr-1(+/+) and Egr-1(-/-) mice. Administration of LPS transiently increased the steady-state levels of Egr-1 mRNA in the kidneys and lungs of Egr-1(+/+) mice with maximal induction at one hour. Egr-1 was expressed in epithelial cells in the kidneys and lungs in untreated and LPS-treated mice. LPS induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein mRNA in the kidneys and lungs of Egr-1(-/-) mice was not affected at 3 hours, but its expression was significantly reduced at 8 hours compared with the expression observed in Egr-1(+/+) mice. Similarly, LPS induction of TF mRNA expression in the kidneys and lungs at 8 hours was reduced in Egr-1(-/-) mice. However, Egr-1 deficiency did not affect plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in endotoxemic mice. Moreover, Egr-1(+/+) and Egr-1(-/-) mice exhibited similar survival times in a model of acute endotoxemia. These data indicate that Egr-1 does not contribute to the early inflammatory response in the kidneys and lungs or the early systemic inflammatory response in endotoxemic mice. However, Egr-1 does contribute to the sustained expression of inflammatory mediators and to the maximal expression of TF at 8 hours in the kidneys and lungs.     

Vascular heterogeneity in the kidney

Blood vessels and their endothelial lining are uniquely adapted to the needs of the underlying tissue. The structure and function of the vasculature varies both between and within different organs. In the kidney, the vascular architecture is designed to function both in oxygen/nutrient delivery and filtration of blood according to the homeostatic needs of the body. Here, we review spatial and temporal differences in renal vascular phenotypes in both health and disease.     

A survey of radiotherapy quality control practice in the United Kingdom for the START trial

Background and purpose: This paper compares the quality control checks performed in departments in the United Kingdom with those recommended by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) in Report 81.

Method: The data were gathered by the quality assurance team for the START trial, during visits to individual departments. Data are compared with the frequencies suggested in IPEM report 81. Where applicable, data are also analyzed with respect to machine manufacturer.

Results: All departments with linear accelerators check the output at least weekly for both photons and electrons, however 11% of departments do not perform a constancy check of the output on a daily basis. The majority of departments check flatness at gantry zero on a monthly basis. However 27% of departments never check at non-zero gantry angles. In 51% of departments no fluoroscopy checks are performed on simulators on a daily basis.

Conclusion: The majority of departments are following the frequencies suggested in IPEM report 81 although there are a number of discrepancies particularly for simulators. Accelerator type needs to be considered when designing quality assurance checks. In many departments more time than is currently allocated is needed on equipment, particularly simulators, to complete all of the checks suggested in Report 81.