Seasonal variation in semen quality: effect of temperature: a study in North India

Background: Variable temperature in different seasons may affect the quality of semen. Most of the studies are from west barring a single large Chinese study with variable results; however, no such study focusing on temperature alone has been published from Indian subcontinent. Present study was undertaken to observe any seasonal variation affecting the semen quality at different times of year.Methods: The study was conducted retrospectively over one year period (2014-2015) at a tertiary care hospital in North India. 815 semen samples referred from infertility clinic were analysed for Sperm concentration, functional sperm concentration, motile sperm concentration and sperm motility index by an automated semen analyser system (SQAIIC-P, Medical Electronic Systems, Los Angeles, CA, USA); and morphological assessment by Papanicolaou stained smears. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 24 software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). The ANOVA test was used to assess differences in semen parameters, p30°C.There was significant variation on different parameters e.g. sperm count, motility, FSC, MSC, SMI, abnormal sperms and morphological defects when compared in different groups using ANOVA test (p<0.05).Conclusions: Present study observed that AHT of 20-30°C (autumn) has a favourable effect on semen quality; however, larger and continuous data in the form of longitudinal study is needed for better correlation

Lymph Node Cytology: Morphology and Beyond!

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), being minimally invasive, rapid, cost-effective provides a valuable first-line diagnostic tool in the evaluation of lymphadenopathies both benign and malignant. Various ancillary techniques namely immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, cell blocks, and molecular studies further improve the diagnostic accuracy of FNACs. Targeted FNAC under ultrasound guidance optimizes cellular yield in palpable and non-palpable lymphadenopathies. FNAC proves to be indispensable at establishing tissue diagnosis in cases when surgical excision is unfeasible, as in elderly patients with comorbidities or in metastatic settings. Nevertheless, lymph node FNAC represents a daunting task owing to the multitude of benign and malignant causes of lymphadenopathy. To aid categorization and better communication to the clinician, an emphasis on classification and reporting of lymph node cytopathology using Sydney system is laid upon

COVID-19 vaccination: Immune response in healthcare workers—A study with review of literature

Background: As the world has been going through a pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) for the past two years, a safe and effective vaccine was urgently needed. Vaccination against the disease was launched in India on January 16, 2021 with healthcare workers, frontline workers, and the elderly above 60 years being the first beneficiaries. Vaccines being used in India are Covishield and Covaxin. Materials and Methods: Fifteen healthcare workers (HCWs) who were vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin were included in the study, and T cell, B cell and antibody response of the HCWs were analyzed. Blood samples collected from every subject were sent for antibody analysis, hematological workup for cell counts, and flow cytometry was performed for various subsets of lymphocytes. Hematological variables in naïve HCWs (who never had any natural infection) and recovered HCWs (those recovered from natural infection) were compared. Results: Antibody index among recovered HCWs was significantly higher than the naïve HCWs. All the leucocyte parameters showed a higher median value in the recovered group except total leucocyte count (TLC), T helper cell count (Th cell), T helper cell to T cytotoxic cell (Th cell: CTL) ratio and natural killer (NK) cell. But only Th: CTL ratio showed a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: This study shows that the antibody index among individuals who had both vaccination and COVID-19 infection is significantly higher than those who just had vaccination. T helper cell to T cytotoxic cell ratio is lowered in the recovered HCWs as compared to the naïve HCWs and this finding is statistically significant

A rare case of extragonadal mixed germ cell tumor of the Sacrococcygeal Region with mature thymic tissue in the teratoma component

A rare extragonadal mixed germ cell tumor of the sacrococcygeal area presenting with mature thymic tissue in the teratomatous component, a rare finding and the first reported case of such an association