Environmental chemicals impact dog semen quality in vitro and may be associated with a temporal decline in sperm motility and increased cryptorchidism

Adverse temporal trends in human semen quality and cryptorchidism in infants have been associated with exposure to environmental chemicals (ECs) during development. Here we report that a population of breeding dogs exhibit a 26 year (1988–2014) decline in sperm quality and a concurrent increased incidence of cryptorchidism in male offspring (1995–2014). A decline in the number of males born relative to the number of females was also observed. ECs, including diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB153), were detected in adult dog testes and commercial dog foods at concentrations reported to perturb reproductive function in other species. Testicular concentrations of DEHP and PCB153 perturbed sperm viability, motility and DNA integrity in vitro but did not affect LH stimulated testosterone secretion from adult testis explants. The direct effects of chemicals on sperm may therefore contribute to the decline in canine semen quality that parallels that reported in the human

The economic impact of high-need psoriasis in daily clinical practice before and after the introduction of biologics.

Contains fulltext : 88933.pdf (publisher's version ) (Closed access)Background Although costs of biologics are high, effective treatment of patients with psoriasis may reduce the total health care costs, as it may limit the need for hospitalization. Objectives To investigate the economic impact of psoriasis, including direct costs, before and after the introduction of biologics, with special focus on hospitalized patients, treatment effectiveness and patient satisfaction with medication. Patients and methods A descriptive retrospective cohort study including 67 patients with high-need psoriasis was done. Direct costs were investigated for the biologic and pre-biologic period. Direct costs for a subgroup of hospitalized patients were analysed separately. Patient satisfaction with biologic treatment was measured using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) version II. Effectiveness of biologic therapy was investigated by means of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Results Mean total direct costs were euro10 146 per patient per year (PPPY) in the pre-biologic treatment period, compared with euro17 712 PPPY in the biologic treatment period. For six patients in the cohort, introduction of biologics led to a reduction of direct costs, as these patients did not need long hospitalizations. Treatment with biologics led to a decrease in PASI from 19.0 at the start of biologic therapy to 6.4 at analysis (66.4%). Patient satisfaction with biologics was high, indicated by a mean TSQM score of 77.8. Conclusions Introduction of biologic therapies may have cost-neutral or cost-saving effects for patients who otherwise require long hospitalization periods. Treatment with biologics proved effective and was accompanied by high satisfaction for the patients.1 juni 201