Human Sperm Morphology as a Marker of Its Nuclear Quality and Epigenetic Pattern.

Background: Human sperm chromatin condensation is a sum of epigenetic events that allows for the near-complete replacement of histones with protamines. Under high-magnification microscopy, nuclear vacuoles have been described as thumbprints with poor chromatin condensation. The objective of this study is to examine whether vacuolated spermatozoa carry specific epigenetic marks, which may influence embryo development.

For patients with non-obstructive azoospermia, the outcome of testicular sperm extraction correlates with self-esteem, sexual health and the quality of the couple's relationship.

Background: A very small number of studies have indicated that azoospermia or negative testicular sperm extraction (TESE) outcomes are linked to depression or erectile dysfunction. However, the data are often weak, conflicting and gathered with non-validated questionnaires. Hence, we performed a cross-sectional study of 44 men with non-obstructive azoospermia.

Place of patient-reported outcomes & experiences measurements (PROMS/PREMS) in the assessment and pricing of Health technologies in France.

In the context of health technologies assessment, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have become assessment criteria that are expected by evaluation agencies along with the other usual clinical criteria. PROMs instruments measure all aspects of patient experience in connection with their health: symptoms, activities of daily living (physical function, sleep, etc.), various aspects of health-related quality of life (QoL), compliance, global impression of change in wellbeing.

Impact of booster vaccination on the control of COVID-19 Delta wave in the context of waning immunity: application to France in the winter 2021/22.

Europe has experienced a large COVID-19 wave caused by the Delta variant in winter 2021/22. Using mathematical models applied to Metropolitan France, we find that boosters administered to ≥ 65, ≥ 50 or ≥ 18 year-olds may reduce the hospitalisation peak by 25%, 36% and 43% respectively, with a delay of 5 months between second and third dose. A 10% reduction in transmission rates might further reduce it by 41%, indicating that even small increases in protective behaviours may be critical to mitigate the wave.

Benefits and risks associated with different uses of the COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria: a modelling study, France, May to September 2021.

Thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (TTS) has been identified as a rare adverse event following COVID-19 vaccination with Vaxzevria. We modelled the benefits and risks of Vaxzevria distribution from May to September 2021 in metropolitan France where other vaccines are available, considering French hospitalisation data and European data on TTS. Across different scenarios, benefits of Vaxzevria distribution in people 55 years and older exceeded the risk of death from COVID-19.

Appraisal of cancer drugs: a comparison of the French health technology assessment with value frameworks of two oncology societies.

Objectives: Our primary objective was to compare the grading of the value of cancer drugs ('Amélioration du Service Médical Rendu' [ASMR] level) by the French health technology assessment authority ('Haute Autorité de santé' [HAS]) with that by the American Society of Clinical Oncology Value Framework (ASCO-VF) and the European Society for Medical Oncology Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS). Our secondary objective was to study the drivers of the French grading system.

Methods: We included new drugs for solid tumors assessed by the HAS between 2010 and 2016 and compared their ASMR level to scores calculated by the 2016-updated ASCO-VF and 2015 ESMO-MCBS.

[Environment and lifestyle: Impacts on male fertility?].

In this last century, an increase of men infertility has been registered. It has been suggested that environmental factors could a negative impact over sperm quality. Among these factors, impact of environmental toxicant has been spread by media.

Disparities in reproductive outcomes according to the endometrial preparation protocol in frozen embryo transfer : The risk of early pregnancy loss in frozen embryo transfer cycles.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of stimulated and artificial endometrial preparation protocols on reproductive outcomes in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles.

Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 1926 FET cycles over a 3.5-year period in the Fertility Unit at a University Hospital.

Uterine contractility and elastography as prognostic factors for pregnancy after intrauterine insemination.

Objective: To determine the impact of the frequency and intensity of uterine contractions (UCs) at the time of IUI on subsequent fertility.

Design: Observational pilot study.

Setting: University hospital.

A novel quantitative PCR detects Babesia infection in patients not identified by currently available non-nucleic acid amplification tests.

Background: Ticks transmit Babesia microti, the causative agents of babesiosis in North America and Europe. Babesiosis is now endemic in Northeastern USA and affects people of all ages. Babesia species infect erythrocytes and can be transmitted through blood transfusion.

To be or not to be [fertile], that is the question.

Background: According to our literature analysis, there are no data focused on spermatozoa emotional representations in childless men and data on the emotional repercussions of a diagnosis of infertility on men are still scarce. Thus, in this work, we investigated what the presence or absence of spermatozoa in the semen symbolize for men.

Material And Methods: To answer this question, 441 childless heterosexual men participated in an anonymous, prospective, Internet-based survey.

Treponema pallidum Lipoprotein TP0435 Expressed in Borrelia burgdorferi Produces Multiple Surface/Periplasmic Isoforms and mediates Adherence.

The ability of Treponema pallidum, the syphilis spirochete to colonize various tissues requires the presence of surface-exposed adhesins that have been difficult to identify due to the inability to culture and genetically manipulate T. pallidum. Using a Borrelia burgdorferi-based heterologous system and gain-in-function approach, we show for the first time that a highly immunogenic lipoprotein TP0435 can be differentially processed into multiple isoforms with one variant stochastically displayed on the spirochete surface.

Disruption of bbe02 by Insertion of a Luciferase Gene Increases Transformation Efficiency of Borrelia burgdorferi and Allows Live Imaging in Lyme Disease Susceptible C3H Mice.

Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in North America and Europe. The causative agent, Borrelia burgdorferi persists in the white-footed mouse. Infection with B.

A human morphologically normal spermatozoon may have noncondensed chromatin.

According to numerous assisted reproductive medicine practitioners, semen with normal characteristics might not require further investigation. However, on the scale of the individual spermatozoon, it is well known that normal morphology does not guarantee optimal nuclear quality. Here, for 20 patients with normal sperm characteristics and a high proportion of spermatozoa with noncondensed chromatin, we subsequently assessed chromatin condensation status (aniline blue staining) and morphology (Papanicolaou staining) of the same 3749 spermatozoa.

[How can we nowadays select the best embryo to transfer?].

Multiple pregnancies stand as the most common adverse outcome of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) and the dangers associated with those pregnancies have been reduced by doing elective single embryo transfers (e-SET). Many studies have shown that e-SET is compatible with a continuously high pregnancy rate per embryo transfer. Yet, it still becomes necessary to improve the selection process in order to define the quality of individual embryos - so that the ones we choose for transfer are more likely to implant.

High-magnification selection of spermatozoa prior to oocyte injection: confirmed and potential indications.

Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) involves the use of differential interference contrast microscopy at high magnification (at least ·6300) to improve the observation of live human spermatozoa (particularly by showing sperm head vacuoles that are not necessarily seen at lower magnifications) prior to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) into the oocyte. However, a decade after IMSI’s introduction, the technique’s indications and ability to increase pregnancy and/or birth rates (relative to conventional ICSI) are subject to debate. In an attempt to clarify this debate, this work performed a systematic literature review according to the PRISMA guidelines.

The nature of human sperm head vacuoles: a systematic literature review.

Motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) involves the use of differential interference contrast microscopy (also called Nomarski contrast) at high magnification (at least 6300x) to improve the observation of live human spermatozoa. In fact, this technique evidences sperm head vacuoles that are not necessarily seen at lower magnifications - particularly if the vacuoles are small (i.e.

Evidence for a self-associating equilibrium intermediate during folding of human growth hormone.

It has been previously shown, by equilibrium denaturation, that human growth hormone (hGH) folds by a cooperative two-state process. This is in contrast to the folding pathways of other nonhuman growth hormones that contain stable monomeric and multimeric equilibrium intermediates. We have reinvestigated the equilibrium denaturation of hGH at higher protein concentrations and found smooth transitions from the native to denatured state, but the calculated free energy for unfolding, delta G, decreases with increasing protein concentration.

Altering the association properties of insulin by amino acid replacement.

The importance of ProB28 and LysB29 on the self-association of insulin was established by systematically truncating the C terminus of the B chain. The relationship between structure and association was further explored by making numerous amino acid replacements at B28 and B29. Association was studied by circular dichroism, size-exclusion chromatography and ultracentrifugation.

Detection of an equilibrium intermediate in the folding of a monomeric insulin analog.

To determine the conformational properties of the C-terminal region of the insulin B-chain relative to the helical core of the molecule, we have investigated the fluorescence properties of an insulin analog in which amino acids B28 and B29 have been substituted with a tryptophan and proline residue respectively, ([WB28,PB29]insulin). The biological properties and far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of the molecule indicate that the conformation is similar to that of native human insulin. Guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl)-induced equilibrium denaturation of the analog as monitored by CD intensity at 224 nm indicates a single cooperative transition with a midpoint of 4.