Profilin-mediated food-induced allergic reactions are associated with oral epithelial remodeling

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Surgical sperm retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection as treatment of obstructive azoospermia

Male genital tract obstructions may result from infections, previous inguinal and scrotal surgery (vasectomy) and congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). Microsurgery can sometimes be successful in treating the obstruction. In other cases and in cases of failed surgical intervention, the patient can be treated by microsurgical or percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA, PESA) or testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). We present the results of 39 ICSI procedures for obstructive azoospermia in 24 couples. The aetiology of the obstruction was failed microsurgery in 11 patients, CBAVD in nine and genital infections in four. Sperm retrieval was accomplished via MESA in four cases, PESA in 18 cases and via TESE in 11 cases. TESE was only applied when PESA failed to produce enough spermatozoa for simultaneous ICSI. In six patients, the ICSI procedure was performed with cryopreserved spermatozoa after an initial PESA procedure. Fertilization occurred in 47% of the metaphase II oocytes; embryo transfer was performed in 92% of procedures and resulted in a clinical pregnancy in 13/39 procedures. Ongoing pregnancy was achieved in 10/39 procedures. One pregnancy was terminated early after prenatal investigation showed a cytogenetic abnormality (47,XX+18, Edwards syndrome). The other nine pregnancies resulted in the live birth of 10 children, without any congenital abnormalities. Epididymal and testicular retrieved spermatozoa were successfully used for ICSI to treat obstructive azoospermia, and resulted in an ongoing pregnancy in 10 of 24 couples (41.6%) after 39 ICSI procedures, a success rate of 25.6% per treatment cycle and of 27.7% per embryo transfer.      

Impact of an anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunization program in patients undergoing dialysis in Havana, Cuba

The follow-up of HBV markers in selected high infection risk populations, in patients from the hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis services was used to assess the effectiveness of a special vaccination program. Viral infection markers were studied in prevalence cross sections of the whole population of patients, and also by recording the reports of clinical cases of hepatitis B occurred during that period in those groups of patients. The prevention program consisted of the vaccination of all patients negative to the viral markers and the indication of vaccination for the new cases during the period of the kidney disease, just before the start of the treatment at the hemodialysis unit; besides all the persons susceptible to infection that had already been included in the program, regardless of the stage of the disease. The results show the benefit of the vaccination in these patients, but it is more effective in the period before the treatment with dialysis where there is a lower possibility of being exposed to the virus and the immune system is still competent. Once the program was established, after a follow up o 6 years, there have been no reports of new cases of hepatitis B and the incidence of the disease has been declining.     

Choroiditis and meningitis in experimental murine infection withListeria monocytogenes

In a study of central nervous system involvement in experimental listeriosis 27 Swiss CD1 mice were inoculated subcutaneously withListeria monocytogenes. Systemic infection developed, as shown by the isolation ofListeria monocytogenes and histopathological lesions in the spleen and liver. In the central nervous system a mixed inflammatory infiltration in the ventricular system, especially in the choroid plexus, and leptomeningitis were the most relevant lesions. Inflammatory lesions were associated with the presence ofListeria monocytogenes, as demonstrated by a positive anti-Listeria monocytogenes immunoperoxidase reaction within phagocytic cells. It is suggested that choroiditis and meningitis developed as a consequence of hematogenous dissemination ofListeria monocytogenes within mononuclear phagocytes and penetration of these cells into the ventricular system through the choroid plexus.     

A microbiological, histopathological and immunohistological study of the intragastric inoculation of Listeria monocytogenes in mice.

The course of murine infection after intragastric inoculation of L. monocytogenes was investigated by immunocytochemical, histopathological and microbiological techniques. L. monocytogenes antigen was observed in epithelial cells of intestinal mucosa overlying Peyer's patches, but not in mucosa devoid of them. This suggests that penetration of L. monocytogenes into the host organism may take place through epithelium overlying Peyer's patches. The efficiency of bacterial penetration appeared to be low, as shown by the small amounts of L. monocytogenes antigen detected and the low counts of bacteria in organs. Gross or histopathological lesions in the intestinal tract were not observed. The presence of L. monocytogenes in spleen, liver and in maxillary and mesenteric lymph nodes, confirmed that the systemic course of infection by this route of inoculation is similar to that of the parenteral routes. The results emphasize the subclinical character of murine listeriosis by the oral route.     

Submandibular and parotid salivary secretion after electrolytic lesioning of the brainstem nucleus parvocellularis in the rat

The present study, in consonance with recent anatomical investigations, demonstrates that activation of the nucleus parvocellularis in the rat evokes a potent hypersecretory effect in the submandibular and sublingual (S-S) salivary glands. Furthermore, electrolytic lesioning of this region in conjunction with peripheral removal of the parotid glands is followed by an increase in the number of drinking responses in the presence of dry food. Such prandial drinking behavior is only observed after total impairment of salivation (i.e., removal of the S-S + parotid glands), thus suggesting that the parvocellularis lesion led to a marked deficit in S-S salivary secretion. On the other hand, the activation of the nucleus parvocellularis was seen to have only a slight effect on parotid salivary secretion. Electrolytic lesions to this zone, when associated with peripheral removal of the S-S glands, failed to induce prandiality, suggesting that the parvocellularis nucleus exerted a low level of control over parotid salivary secretion. These results are interpreted as functional proof of the relationship between the parvocellularis reticular formation and the superior salivatory nucleus in the secretion of S-S saliva.     

Changes in bone turnover during tibolone treatment

OBJECTIVES: An open study was carried out to evaluate changes in bone remodeling markers such as N-telopeptide (NTx), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), total alkaline phosphatase (TAP), and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) during a 1-year continuous tibolone treatment in postmenopausal women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six postmenopausal women were recruited for receiving tibolone 2.5 mg per day for 1 year. Densitometry and determination of biochemical markers of bone metabolism in serum and urine were performed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: Comparing baseline with 12 month's values, BAP and all resorption markers decreased significantly. NTx began to decrease since the initiation of the treatment (baseline: 74.4 +/- 5.3; 1 month: 57.5 +/- 4.2; 12 months: 36.6 +/- 2.8). BAP increased at the first month (baseline: 37.3 +/- 2.1; 1 month: 42.6 +/- 3.0) but diminished in the following months (12 months: 23.1 +/- 1.5). TAP started to decrease significantly only after 6 months of treatment (baseline: 37.3 +/- 2.1; 12 months: 31.4 +/- 2.3) and TRAP after 3 months (baseline: 9.8 +/- 0.4; 6 months: 9.1 +/- 0.5; 12 months: 8.2 +/- 0.4). Normal bone mineral density at distal and ultradistal forearm was maintained during the 1-year treatment (baseline: 0.42 +/- 0.01; 12 months: 0.42 +/- 0.01 and baseline: 0.33 +/- 0.01; 12 months: 0.33 +/- 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: The use of tibolone 2.5 mg per day diminished progressively and significantly bone resorption and formation markers during 1-year treatment period.