Elevation of serum sex hormone-binding globulin in females with fulminant hepatitis B virus infection

Amongst adults exposed to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the infection pursues a fulminant course more frequently in females, while conversely a chronic carrier state is more frequent in males. Because of these differences in sex ratio, we investigated the relationship between the outcome of HBV infection and serum concentrations of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), a circulating glycoprotein that exerts an important influence on the balance of free sex hormones. SHBG levels were significantly elevated in females with fulminant HBV infection compared to females with either uncomplicated acute or chronic HBV infection (P less than .05 and P less than .001, respectively). That this was not a nonspecific effect of fulminant hepatitis was confirmed by the significantly higher levels in this group than in age-matched females with fulminant hepatitis unrelated to HBV (P less than .05). In contrast, four of 15 female HBsAg carriers had SHBG values in the male range, and these included three of four patients who had acquired HBV as adults. SHBG levels were normal in all male groups. These results suggested that for adults the hormonal environment may be important in determining the course of HBV infection.     

Effects of sex hormones and antihormones on the activity of redox system enzymes of human erythrocyte glutathione

Effects of estradiol and testosterone and of the antiandrogens cyproterone acetate, niftolide, and antiestrogen tamoxifen on the activities of human erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase were studiedin vitro. In contrast to hormone preperations, antihormones in high concentrations (10⁻⁴−5×10⁻⁴ M) modified the enzyme activities. Cyproterone acetate and tamoxifen increased the activity of glutathione reductase, while tamoxifen stimulated glutathione reductase and inhibited glutathione peroxidase. Niftolide inhibited both enzymes. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 8, pp. 185–187, August, 1997     

Factors related to the development of sensitization to green coffee and castor bean allergens among coffee workers

Background Occupational allergic respiratory symptoms in coffee workers have been frequently reported, but the ultimate cause of sensilization is still debated, castor bean being considered besides green coffee beans. Atopy and cigarette smoking have been suggested as promoting factors of sensitizalion for several occupational allergens. Objective This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of allergic respiratory symptoms and of sensitization to both green coffee beans and castor bean in the whole workforce of a coffee manufacturing plant. Furthermore we wanted to ascertain both the presence of castor bean antigens in the settled dust of the green coffee beans warehouse and the possible crossreactivity between the two beans. Meanwhile, the effect of smoking and atopy was considered. Method: Two-hundred and eleven workers were examined. A questionnaire on oculorhinitis and asthma was administered and skin-prick tests for green coffee beans, castor bean and 15 common inhalant allergens were carried out. Isoelectric focusing, isoelectric focusing immunoblot and radioallergosorbent assay (RAST) inhibition were performed on samples of settled environmental dust from the green coffee area, as well as on castor bean and green coffee beans. Results Ten per cent of the workers complained of oculorhinitis alone and 16% of asthma (nearly always associated with oculorhinitis). The overall prevalence of skin-sensitization was: 15% for green coffee beans, 22% for castor bean, 22% for common allergens. Evidence of sensitization to occupational allergens was more common in smokers, with a more than twofold increase in relative risk. The strong association between skin positivity to common and occupational allergens suggests that atopy acts as an enhancing host factor towards occupational sensitization. The analysis of the dust confirmed the presence of castor bean antigens. Conclusion Our findings indicate that castor bean is the major cause of occupational sensitization among coffee workers, whereas smoking and atopy act as enhancing factors.     

Aneuploidy in recurrent spontaneous aborters: the tendency to parental nondisjunction

To test the hypothesis that parental aneuploidy, particularly involving sex chromosomes, indicates an increased risk of meiotic nondisjunction, we analyzed chromosome numbers from 283 parents who had had 2 or more spontaneous abortions and, if they had children, no abnormal offspring. A sample of 15 lymphocyte metaphases was examined per individual for a total of 4,245 metaphases. Two or more cells with the same abnormal chromosome complement were found in 19 individuals: 4 males with a minor number of 45, X cells and 15 females with minor numbers of 45, X and/or 47, XXX cells (p< 0.001). The most logical explanation is that mitosis may, in part, reflect meiosis. This group of parents appears predisposed to chromosome errors in meiosis leading to recurrent spontaneous abortion.     

Study on nonspecific immunity in pregnant women: II. Effect of hormones on chemiluminescence response of peripheral blood phagocytes.

To analyze the mechanisms of increased nonspecific immunity in pregnant women, the effect of various hormones on the phagocytic activity was estimated by a luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) response during phagocytosing opsonized zymosan. The CL response of whole blood supplemented with exogenous human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) increased significantly in all the male and female subjects and pregnant women. An approximate two- to fourfold increase was observed in comparison with the unsupplemented control in each subject at concentrations ranging from 1 to 1,000 IU/ml after 48 h of incubation (P less than 0.05). Progesterone slightly stimulated the CL response in female subjects only, but had no effect on male and pregnant women. Estradiol (E2) did not stimulate the CL response in any subject. The expression of Fc and C3b receptors on the surface of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) in pregnant women was also investigated by measuring the immunofluorescence stained with monoclonal antibody to Fc and C3b receptors, respectively. The relative numbers of Fc receptors increased significantly in the third trimester compared to those of female control (P less than 0.05). Those of C3b receptor also increased in the second and third trimester (P less than 0.005). These results suggested that the nonspecific immunity represented by phagocytic activity in pregnant women increased with both oxidative metabolic responsiveness and the expression of membrane receptors. Besides, the increased phagocytic activity of the maternal host is probably due to the stimulatory effect of both endogenous and exogenous hCG on their peripheral blood phagocytes.     

Preferential location of sex chromosomes, their aneuploidy in human sperm, and their role in determining sex chromosome aneuploidy in embryos after ICSI

BACKGROUND: In babies born after ICSI procedures, an increase of de-novo sex chromosome abnormalities has been observed. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain these findings: an increased rate of sex chromosome aneuploidy in sperm of oligozoospermic men, or a preferential location of the sex chromosomes in the sub-acrosomal region of the sperm nucleus which leads to a reduced DNA decondensation of this region. In order to investigate which theory may be more reliable, we studied the localization of sex chromosomes and their aneuploidy rate in sperm in men undergoing ICSI. METHODS: Using fluorescent in-situ hybridization we studied sex chromosome localization and the aneuploidy rate for sex chromosomes and chromosome 18 in 20 oligospermic men undergoing ICSI and in 10 controls. RESULTS: In 40.94 and 52.92% of cases, the X and Y chromosomes respectively were localized in the sub-acrosomal region of the sperm nucleus compared with only 14.29% of cases of chromosome 18 (P < 0.001). An increase of sex chromosome aneuploidy in sperm of oligospermic men was observed; 2.91 versus 0.69% of controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Sex chromosomes are localized preferentially in the sub-acrosomal region of sperm and sex chromosome aneuploidy rate in the sperm of oligozoospermic men is higher than in controls.     

The effects of separation and reunion on the behavior of mother and infant squirrel monkeys

Mother and infant squirrel monkeys that lived together in a socially restricted environment were separated for a period of seven days after the infants had become relatively independent, and were then reunited. Behavioral observations before, during, and after separation indicated that (1) female infants became independent of their mothers earlier than males, (2) neither mothers nor infants were severely affected by separation, and (3) an increase in attachment occurred following reunion only when the mother had a limited history of maternal experience. These results suggest that (1) certain characteristics in the maternal behavior of the squirrel monkey facilitate readjustment in mothers and infants following maternal separation, (2) maternal experience can influence the mother-infant relationship following a period of separation, and (3) the independence of infants from their mothers may be a function of both sex and species.     

Rewarding properties of social interactions in adolescent and adult male and female rats: impact of social versus isolate housing of subjects and partners

Social interactions have been shown to be rewarding for adolescent and adult rats; however, there has been little emphasis on comparing the strength of the rewarding value of social stimuli across ontogeny. Since age differences in social interactions may vary with sex or housing circumstances, the present study assessed social conditioned place preference (CPP) in adolescent and adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats housed either socially or in isolation and conditioned with either group-housed or isolate-housed partners. Isolated animals of both sexes and ages demonstrated social CPP, with the strongest preference emerging in adolescent males. Social CPP was not evident in group-housed adults whereas group-housed adolescents developed a preference for the compartment previously paired with similarly housed partners; however, when socially housed adolescents were conditioned with isolated partners, social CPP did not emerge. Age differences in social CPP may reflect age-related neural alterations in brain systems implicated in regulation of social behavior.     

Gender-related influences on the development of chronic graft-versus-host disease-induced experimental lupus nephritis.

Autoimmune diseases are far more common in women than in men. In the incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the female-to-male ratio is as high as 10:1. This suggests that sex hormones may play a fundamental role in determining the susceptibility to these diseases. In order to investigate the sex-related differences in the inducibility of chronic graft-versus-host disease-related experimental lupus nephritis, lymphocytes from female DBA/2 donor mice were administered to either male or female (C57BL10 x DBA/2)F1 recipients. An additional group of male recipients received lymphocytes from male DBA/2 donors. After four cell transfers, female recipients developed a significantly higher albuminuria than both male groups. Serum concentrations of autoantibodies against glomerular basement membrane (GBM), collagen IV, and laminin were significantly higher in females 2-4 weeks after induction. Levels of circulating autoantibodies against renal tubular epithelial antigens (RTE) and nuclear antigens were not different between the sexes. In transfer studies, the necessity of the presence of anti-GBM and anti-RTE autoantibodies for the development of glomerulonephritis was confirmed. These findings indicate that: (i) in this model of lupus nephritis, susceptibility to glomerulonephritis is strongly influenced by sex-related genes; and (ii) among the variety of autoantibodies occurring in this model of SLE, both anti-GBM and anti-RTE autoantibodies play a key role in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis.