[Trends in semen quality in a non-industrialized population from the Salamanca area, Spain, during the last 30 years].

Background And Objective: The objective was to analyze the secular trend in semen quality over the past 30 years (1978-2007) in a population-based study in Salamanca, Western Spain. Information about this issue in non-industrialized areas of Southern Europe is lacking.

Subjects And Methods: We analyzed semen quality in 612 consecutive healthy normospermic subjects derived to our unit for andrologic evaluation.

Persistence of androgenic effects on the production of proinflammatory cytokines by circulating antigen-presenting cells after withdrawal of testosterone treatment in aging type 2 diabetic men with partial androgen deficiency.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that T treatment withdrawal could be associated with an enhancement of proinflammatory cytokine production by peripheral blood monocytes and dendritic cells.

Design: A prospective intervention study.

Setting: Tertiary university hospital.

Decreased production of inflammatory cytokines by circulating monocytes and dendritic cells in type 2 diabetic men with atherosclerotic complications.

Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are involved in the development of atherosclerosis, whose complications represent the main cause of death in diabetic patients. Nevertheless, their role in atherogenesis is poorly understood. We compared the number of circulating monocyte and dendritic cell (DC) subsets as well as their capacity to produce inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in type 2 diabetic men with (n=11) and without (n=44) chronic atherosclerotic complications.