Immunoglobulins in Human Seminal Plasma

Single radial immunodiffusion has been used to evaluate immunoglobulins and secretory piece (SP) in human seminal plasma. Samples were collected from 90 healthy volunteers, 202 subjects submitted to vasectomy for contraceptive purposes, tested at various intervals after surgery, and 725 patients grouped according to selected andrological disorders. Results may be summarized as follows. In normal subjects IgG and IgA were constantly present (mean values +/- SD: 8.14 +/- 2.82 mg/dl; 1.91 +/- 1.03 mg/dl, respectively) while IgM were detected in trace amounts (from 0.7 to 3.3 mg/dl) in 10% of subjects, and negligible or absent in the remaining subjects. In vasectomized subjects IgG and IgA showed a significant increase only in the first 3 months after vasectomy, probably due to surgery. In andrological patients Ig showed an increase in cases with antisperm antibodies (A b) and in those with infections of genital tract and positive semen culture. On the basis of these findings and the secretory piece assay data the importance appears to be stressed of the local immunocompetent system at least in some andrological diseases

Structural variants of chromosome 9: a possibile association with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

We report two cases of structural variations of chromosome 9 associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and azoospermia in adolescent boys. One patient also had a partially imperforated urethral meatus. Histological examination revealed that both had hypotrophic and underdeveloped testes. There was no LH and FSH response to LH-RH stimulation nor was there any response to naloxone tests. Basal and HCG stimulated plasma testosterone values were below normal prepubertal levels. As the administration of gonadotrophins did not improve the clinical and hormonal findings, alternative androgen therapy was necessary to achieve secondary sexual characteristics. Although they reached a good level of androgenization, their testes were still very small and azoospermia remained, as confirmed by repeated semen analyses. A possible association between chromosome 9 polymorphisms and hypothalamo-pituitary axis abnormalities is suggested. It is hypothesized that structural variants of chromosome 9 are not unrelated occurrences. Furthermore, and in view of the fact that they can lead to a high risk of azoospermia and infertility, such variants call for clinical investigatio

Gram staining applied to Human spermatozoa: a simple method for studyng chromatin condensation status

Gram staining applied to human spermatozoa from fertile donors is described. The stain revealed populations of Gram-positive and Gram-negative spermatozoa. Data showed a significant and progressive decrease in the percentage of Gram-positive spermatozoa at different times during the chromatin decondensation procedure (SDS-BSA and SDS-EDTA). No significant correlation could be found between Gram staining and other functional tests used for spermatozoa; only the aniline blue staining test showed a poor correlation. Our study demonstrates that normal spermatozoa with regular chromatin condensation appear Gram-positive, while spermatozoa with altered chromatin condensation appear Gram-negative

Endocrine and metabolic evaluation of classic Klinefelter syndrome and high-grade aneuploidies of sexual chromosomes with male phenotype: are they different clinical conditions?

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex chromosome aneuploidy in males. As well as classic KS, less frequent higher-grade aneuploidies (HGAs) are also possible. While KS and HGAs both involve testicular dysgenesis with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, they differ in many clinical features. The aim of this study was to investigate the endocrinal and metabolic differences between KS and HGAs.Objective: Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common sex chromosome aneuploidy in males. As well as classic KS, less frequent higher-grade aneuploidies (HGAs) are also possible. While KS and HGAs both involve testicular dysgenesis with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, they differ in many clinical features. The aim of this study was to investigate the endocrinal and metabolic differences between KS and HGAs. Design: Cross-sectional, case-control study. Methods: 88 patients with KS, 24 with an HGA and 60 healthy controls. Given the known age-related differences all subjects were divided by age into subgroups 1, 2 and 3. Pituitary, thyroid, gonadal and adrenal functions were investigated in all subjects. Metabolic aspects were only evaluated in subjects in subgroups 2 and 3. Results: FT4 and FT3 levels were significantly higher in HGA than in KS patients in subgroups 1 and 2; in subgroup 3, FT4 was significantly higher in controls than in patients. Thyroglobulin was significantly higher in HGA patients in subgroup 1 than in KS patients and controls. Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism was confirmed in both KS and HGA patients, but was more precocious in the latter, as demonstrated by the earlier increase in gonadotropins and the decrease in testosterone, DHEA-S and inhibin B. Prolactin was significantly higher in HGA patients, starting from subgroup 2. Total and LDL cholesterol were significantly higher in HGA patients than in KS patients and controls, while HDL cholesterol was higher in controls than in patients. Conclusions: KS and HGAs should be considered as two distinct conditions

Pion yield from 450 GeV/c protons on beryllium

This paper reports on the charged pion production yields measured by the SPY/NA56 experiment for 450 GeV/c proton interactions on beryllium targets. The present data cover a secondary momentum range from 7 GeV/c to 135 GeV/c in the forward direction. An experimental accuracy ranging from 5 to 10\%, depending on the beam momentum, has been achieved, limited mainly by the knowledge of the beam acceptance. These results will be relevant in the calculation of neutrino fluxes in present and future neutrino beams

Ormone anti-mülleriano (AMH): funzione e livelli nell’uomo e nella donna

L’ormone anti-Mülleriano (AMH) è una glicoproteina appartenente alla superfamiglia del TGF-β, inizialmente identificato come responsabile della differenziazione dell’apparato genitale maschile. L’AMH è prodotto come pro-ormone costituito da due monomeri, uniti mediante ponti disolfuro, che subiscono un clivaggio proteolitico a formare due omodimeri: il primo costituito dalle pro-regioni N-terminali e l’altro dalle regioni mature C-terminali. Questi rimangono legati in maniera non-covalente a formare un complesso circolante di 140 kDa

Inibina come marker di qualità seminale

L’inibina (Inh) è un ormone glicoproteico, della superfamiglia del TGF-β, che nell’adulto down-regola la produzione di FSH da parte delle cellule gonadotrope dell’adenoipofisi. E’ un eterodimero di 31–33 kDa composto da due subunità: la subunità-α (αC) e la subunità-β (βAo βB) unite da due ponti disolfuro a formare, rispettivamente, l’InhA o l’InhB. Ciascuna possiede un peculiare profilo di produzione, azione ed integrazione nel complesso sistema che regola l’asse ipotalamo-ipofisi-gonadi. Attualmente disponiamo di tecniche ELISA, che si basano su metodiche a sandwich con doppio anticorpo, dotate di buona sensibilità (fino a 4 pg/mL per l’InhB) e notevole specificità, in grado di discriminare le subunità-αC, -βA o -βB. Nell’uomo si trova solo l’InhB che viene prodotta essenzialmente nella gonade, come dimostrano i dati nei pazienti anorchidi dove l’ormone risulta costantemente indosabile. La fisiologia della secrezione dell’ormone spiega perché, nell’uomo adulto, sia stata dimostrata da diversi autori una forte correlazione positiva tra spermatogenesi, in termini di concentrazione per ml e numero totale per eiaculato e livelli sierici di InhB. Numerosi studi di popolazione hanno indicato come limite inferiore di riferimento per questo ormone in soggetti normozoospermici valori variabili tra 48 e 105 pg/mL, anche se prendendo in considerazione la normalità di tutti i parametri seminali il valore ottimale dovrebbe essere di 80–90 pg/mL