Investigation of sperm chromatin condensation by aniline blue staining in infertile men with normal and abnormal semen parameters

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between sperm chromatin condensation assessed by aniline blue staining and semen parameters in infertile men. Methods: Infertile men applied to our urology clinics and diagnosed with normozoospermia (n=50), asthenozoospermia (n=17), oligozoospermia (n=3), teratozoospermia (n=2) oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) (n=10) according to their semen analysis were included in the study. Semen samples were evaluated for sperm chromatin condensation by aniline blue staining. Results: The percentage of aniline-positive spermatozoa in the OAT and teratozoospermia group was found to be higher than in the normozoospermic and asthenozoospermic infertile groups (p=0.002, p=0.044 with normozoospermia group and p=0.026, p=0.007 with asthenozoospermia group, respectively). Sperm chromatin condensation was negatively correlated with sperm concentration (p=0.003, r=-0.322), total sperm count (p=0.004, r=-0.313), total progressive motile sperm count (p=0.005, r=-0.307), and normal morphology (p<0.0001, r=-0.554); and positively correlated with the percentage of immotile sperm (p=0.037, r=0.230). Conclusion: Sperm chromatin condensation was found to be different in infertile men differently diagnosed based on their semen analysis. The results of the study suggest that chromatin condensation, together with routine sperm parameters, may constitute a valuable parameter in the evaluation of male fertility

Evaluation Of Dihydropteridine Reductase Activities In Patients With Kidney Failure

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is the inability of the kidneys to remove waste products from the blood. The most important factors causing ESRD that require hemodialysis are diabetes and hypertension. There are limited numbers of studies to evaluate tetrahydrobiopterin pathway in these patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate tetrahydrobiopterin pathway by measuring its important components, biopterin to creatinine concentrations and dihydropteridine reductase activities in diabetes and hypertension patients treated with/without hemodialysis. The patients undergoing hemodialysis were classified as diabetic nephropathy (n=21), hypertensive nephropathy (n=20) and others (n=30), while the controls consisted of healthy subjects (n=21), diabetic subjects (n=23) and hypertensive subjects (n=22) without any renal disorder. It was found that urinary biopterin to creatinine concentrations significantly increased in kidney failure patients undergoing hemodialysis compared to the healthy control group (p<0.05). Additionally, there were significant differences in urinary biopterin to creatinine concentrations between diabetes or hypertension patients and their hypertensive or diabetic control counterparts (both p<0.05). Our results indicated an alteration in tetrahydrobiopterin pathway in ESRD, and in the presence of secondary pathologies such as diabetes and hypertension in the patients undergoing hemodialysis, more considerable changes are observed in the pathway.WoSScopu

The Comparison of Premature Ejaculation Assessment Questionnaires and Their Sensitivity for the Four Premature Ejaculation Syndromes: Results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Sexual Health Survey

WOS: 000289115400026PubMed ID: 21269396Introduction. In addition to the previously defined "lifelong" and "acquired" premature ejaculation (PE), the existence of two more subtypes of PE, namely "natural variable PE" and "premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction," has been proposed. Aims. To evaluate the diagnostic value of the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and Arabic Index of Premature Ejaculation (AIPE) in a population-based study, in relation to their sensitivity across these four different PE syndromes and to assess the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP) scores of patients with lifelong, acquired, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction. Methods. Between June 2009 and December 2009, couples were randomly selected from 17 provinces of Turkey. Subjects with the complaint of ejaculating prematurely were classified as lifelong, acquired, natural variable PE, and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction according to the medical and sexual history they described. PE status was also assessed with PEDT, AIPE and PEP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated for PEDT and AIPE in the study population whereas detection rates of these two questionnaires were also compared among the four PE syndromes. Moreover, PEP scores of patients with lifelong, acquired, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction were compared. Significance level was considered as P < 0.05. Main Outcome Measures. Scores obtained from PEDT, AIPE, and PEP questionnaires. Results. A total of 2,593 couples were enrolled where 512 (20.0%) male subjects reported PE. PEDT, AIPE, and PEP measures of the PE patients indicated worse sexual function (P < 0.001 each). Mean scores obtained from questionnaires were significantly better in patients with premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction and they were the worst in patients with acquired PE (P < 0.001 each). The sensitivity values of PEDT and AIPE were 89.3 and 89.5, whereas their specificity values were 50.5 and 39.1, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in detection rates of PEDT and AIPE among the four PE syndromes (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001). They were higher in acquired and lifelong PE and lower in premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction. Conclusion. PEDT and AIPE can diagnose PE with high sensitivity, especially in patients with lifelong and acquired PE. The complaint of patients with acquired PE seems to be more severe than those complaining of lifelong, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction patients. Serefoglu EC, Yaman O, Cayan S, Asci R, Orhan I, Usta MF, Ekmekcioglu O, Kendirci M, Semerci B, and Kadioglu A. The comparison of premature ejaculation assessment questionnaires and their sensitivity for the four premature ejaculation syndromes: Results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Sexual Health Survey. J Sex Med 2011;8:1177-1185.Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research DevelopmentJohnson & Johnson USAThis study was conducted by the Turkish Society of Andrology with a grant provided by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development

Prevalence of the Complaint of Ejaculating Prematurely and the Four Premature Ejaculation Syndromes: Results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Sexual Health Survey

Introduction

Investigation of Carbapenemases in Carbapenem-Resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae Strains Isolated in 2014 in Turkey

Carbapenems are the choice of treatment in infections caused by multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae. In recent years carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates due to carbapenemases have been increasingly reported worldwide. Multicenter studies on carbapenemases are scarce in Turkey. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of carbapenemases from different parts of Turkey as a part of the European Survey of Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae (EuSCAPE) project. Beginning in November 2013, carbapenem-resistant isolates resistant to at least one of the agents, namely imipenem, meropenem, and ertapenem were sent to the coordinating center. Minimum inhibitory concentrations for these carbapenems were determined by microdilution tests following EUCAST guidelines. Production of carbapenemase was confirmed by combination disk synergy tests. Types of carbapenemases were investigated using specific primers for VIM, IMP; NDM, KPC and OXA-48 genes by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. In a six month period, 155 suspected carbapenemase-positive isolates were sent to the coordinating center of which 21 (13.5%) were E.coli and 134 (86.5%) were K.pneumoniae. Nineteen (90.5%) strains among E.coli and 124 (92.5%) strains among K.pneumoniae were shown to harbour at least one carbapenemase gene by molecular tests, with a total of 92.3% (143/155). Carbapenemases were determined as a single enzyme in 136 strains (OXA-48: 84.6%; NDM: 6.3%; VIM: 2.8%; IMP: 1.4%) and as a combination in seven isolates (OXA-48 + NDM: 2.1%; OXA-48 + VIM: 2.1%; VIM + NDM: 0.7%). KPC was not detected in any of the isolates. According to the microdilution test results, resistance to imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem in OXA-48 isolates were 59.5%, 52.9% and 100%, respectively. The combination disk synergy test was 100% compatible with the molecular test results. As most of the OXA-48 producing isolates were susceptible to meropenem but all were resistant to ertapenem, ertapenem seems to be the most sensitive agent in screening carbapenemases in areas where OXA-48 is prevalent and phenotypic combination tests can be useful in centers where molecular tests are not available.Wo