Antisperm antibodies in the polyglandular autoimmune (PGA) syndrome type I: response to cyclical steroid therapy

OBJECTIVE: To determine if cyclical intermediate dose steroid therapy could improve semen parameters in an infertile man with sperm autoimmunity associated with the polyglandular autoimmune (PGA) syndrome. DESIGN: Sperm agglutination studies performed before, during and after three courses of cyclical intermediate dose prednisolone therapy. PATIENT: A twenty-six-year old man with polyglandular autoimmune syndrome, consisting of Addison's disease, hypoparathyroidism, chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and alopecia totalis, presented with infertility. He had normal endocrine testicular function but severe exocrine failure evidenced by a low sperm count (4.5 x 10(6)/ml), zero motility and universal sperm agglutination. MEASUREMENTS: Sperm agglutination tests. RESULTS: At presentation the gelatin agglutination test (GAT) was strongly positive in serum (1/1204) and seminal plasma (1/64) as was the tray agglutination test (TAT) (1/32). The patient's wife had a regular menstrual cycle with normal luteal phase progesterone levels. Following three courses of cyclical prednisolone (20 mg twice daily on days 1-10 of wife's cycle, and 5 mg on days 11 and 12), sperm quantity and motility improved considerably (12 x 10(6)/ml, 40% respectively) and sperm agglutination tests became negative. After a fourth course of therapy the patient's wife became pregnant. Three months post-treatment sperm motility was very low again and agglutinating activity in serum and seminal plasma increased. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case of male infertility due to sperm autoimmunity in association with the PGA syndrome type 1. The immunosuppressive action of cyclical intermediate dose steroid therapy led to a significant quantitative and qualitative improvement in semen parameters.     

Effects on Fertility of Rabbits After Active Immunization With Rat Testicular Cytochrome ct

ABSTRACT: A Male rabbit was immunized with rat testicular cytochrome (Cyt) c_t and mated with normal, unimmunized females. The matings resulted in abnormal pregnancies: no offspring or stillborn or undersized liveborn offspring weighing 25–30 gm each. Another unusual observation was that fur-pulling behavior, normally exhibited by pregnant female rabbits at the end of the gestational period, was absent in all of these pregnancies. Therefore, immunization of a normal rabbit with testicular cyt c_t appeared to interfere with physiological and behavioral aspects of pregnancy in normal female rabbits. The immunological basis of these findings remains to be determined.     

HLA-DR4 SUBTYPE AND -B ALLELES IN DQB1*0302-POSITIVE HAPLOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH IDDM

We determined the distribution of DR4 subtypes in 309 DQB1*0302-positive haplotypes found in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients and 70 control haplotypes present only in healthy family members. An increased frequency of DRB1*0401 allele (74.4% vs. 55.7%, P = 0.003) and a decrease of DRB1*0404 allele (23.6% vs. 40.0%, P = 0.0064) was revealed. A further analysis of extended haplotypes demonstrated strong linkages between various B alleles and DRB1*04 subtypes. HLA-B39 was more frequent in DRB1*0404–DQB1*0302-positive IDDM haplotypes compared with control ones (37.0% vs. 14.3%, P = 0.049), suggesting an involvement of the region telomeric to HLA-DRB1 in the susceptibility to IDDM.     

国产美罗培南治疗急性细菌性感染的临床试验

目的:研究国产美罗培南用于抗感染治疗的临床疗效和安全性.方法:将30例中、重度急性细菌性感染患者按随机对照平行法分成2组,治疗组14例,给予美罗培南0.5g,q8h,静脉滴注;对照组16例,给予泰能(亚胺培南/西司他丁)1.0g,q8h,静脉滴注.两药疗程均为7～10d.结果:两组的临床痊愈率均为50%;临床有效率治疗组和对照组分别为85.7%和87.5%;细菌清除率分别为84.6%和85.7%;不良反应发生率分别为14.3%和18.8%.以上指标两组差异均无显著性(P>0.05).结论:国产新药美罗培南用于抗感染治疗安全有效.     

Prospective evaluation of a prostacyclin-sparing aspiring formulation and heparin/warfarin in aspirin users with unstable angina or non-Q wave myocardial infarction at rest

The aim of this trial was to compare the efficacy of combinationantithrombotic therapy with a prostacyclin-sparing aspirin plusanticoagulation versus conventional aspirin plus anticoagulation,when added to antianginal therapy, in patients with unstableangina or non-Q wave myocardial infarction already being treatedwith aspirin. In a double-blind (for the aspirin) study, 144prior aspirin users were randomized; 72 patients received controiled-release,prostacyclin-sparing aspirin 75 mg daily plus anticoagulation(intravenous heparin followed by warfarin to maintain the internationalnormalized ratio at 2–3), and 72 patients received conventionalaspirin 75 mg daily plus the same anticoagulation. Controlled-releaseaspirin was formulated to preserve endothelial cell prostacyclinsynthesis. Trial therapy was begun by 13.2 ± 12.3 h ofqualifying pain, and continued for 12 weeks. The frequency of recurrent angina with electrocardiographicchanges, myocardial infarction, or death, was analysed by intentionto treat. At 12 weeks, events were     

肺隔离症17例手术治疗分析

目的：探讨肺隔离症的手术治疗方法和效果。方法回顾性分析该院在2003年3月-2014年3月间收治的17例肺隔离症患者的临床资料。结果①该组17例患者中,术前确诊者13例;术中确诊4例;②采用肺叶切除术对患者进行治疗,全部痊愈,无1例死亡;③术后并发症的发生率为17.64豫(3/17),经对症处理后均缓解;④术后随访6个月~10年,复查X线胸片和CT,结果显示均正常。结论肺隔离症是临床中比较少见的肺先天性畸形,临床表现无特异性,易发生误诊和漏诊,临床中以肺叶切除术治疗为主,效果良好,值得临床推广。     

Fas and Bcl-2 protein expression in thyrocytes of patients with nodular goiter

OBJECTIVE: The relative expression of the apoptotic protein Fas and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 were investigated in thyrocytes from patients with non-toxic nodular goiter (NTG, n=20) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT, n=5), who underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy for diagnostic reasons. On the basis of the clinical and cytological findings, the patients with NTG were sub-classified into the group of those with colloid nodules (n=9), degenerative nodules (n=6) and adenomatous nodules (n=5). METHODS: Fine-needle biopsy aspirates were examined by immunocytochemistry for Fas and Bcl-2 expression, using specific monoclonal antibodies. For the evaluation of Fas and Bcl-2 immuno-reactivity, an expression index, based on the number of cells with positive staining, was used: grade 1 included samples with positive staining in <20% of cells; grade 2 included samples with 20-50% positive cells; and grade 3 included samples with >50% positive cells. RESULTS: Fas protein expression was generally low (grade 1) in patients with nodular goiter, in contrast to patients with HT, in whom high expression was detected (grade 3). Only in aspirates from degenerative nodules (four out of six), and in which lymphocytes were also present, was Fas expressed at an intermediate level (grade 2). On the other hand, Bcl-2 protein was differentially expressed among the nodule subtypes. It was low in colloid and degenerative nodules (grade 1) but high in adenomatous ones (grades 2 and 3). Bcl-2 expression was also low in patients with HT (grade 1). CONCLUSION: It is concluded that in comparison to HT, where there is up-regulation of Fas and down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein, Fas expression is low in human goiter, indicating low apoptotic activity. The regulation of Bcl-2 protein differs between adenomatous and colloid nodules, suggesting that this protein may play a role in the differentiation of thyroid nodules.