Publications by authors named "Makarounis K"

Article Synopsis
  • Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a prevalent and complex issue with varied treatment options and no definitive guidelines, leading to differing management practices internationally.
  • A comprehensive survey with 336 responses from specialists in 49 countries explored current medical and surgical strategies for NOA, analyzing results against existing guidelines and offering expert recommendations.
  • Key findings included diverse approaches to hormonal therapy, significant variation in sperm retrieval success rates, and differing protocols around varicocele repair and follicle-stimulating hormone cutoff levels for sperm retrieval.
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Article Synopsis
  • * Conducted from July to September 2022, a questionnaire gathered responses from 367 doctors in 49 countries, focusing on how they diagnose NOA through methods like hormone tests and genetic analyses.
  • * The survey identified that while many practices align with guidelines, significant differences in approaches were found, underscoring the need for standardized, evidence-based international guidelines for NOA evaluation.
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Article Synopsis
  • The meta-analysis investigates the effects of varicocele repair on semen parameters in infertile males, combining data from diverse studies without language restrictions.
  • A total of 351 studies were analyzed, revealing significant improvements in several semen parameters post-repair, including semen volume, sperm concentration, total sperm count, motility, and morphology, while sperm vitality showed no improvement.
  • This research is the largest of its kind and highlights the benefits of varicocele repair for male infertility, contributing valuable insights for clinical practice.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates global practices for managing sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in infertile men, highlighting its impact on fertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART).
  • A survey collecting data from 436 reproductive experts across 55 countries revealed a common recommendation for lifestyle changes and antioxidants, with varying durations for treatment and differing management approaches for specific infertility cases.
  • The findings indicate a lack of uniformity in practices, emphasizing the need for standardized guidelines and expert consensus for treating men with elevated SDF.
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There is increasing evidence that Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection can directly affect male fertility. However, only few have investigated the effects of CT on semen parameters, and mostly with inconclusive results. The main aims of this study were to identify CT inside spermatozoa, and the possible pre and post antibiotic treatment effects on the overall semen parameters.

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Purpose: Varicocele is a common problem among infertile men. Varicocele repair (VR) is frequently performed to improve semen parameters and the chances of pregnancy. However, there is a lack of consensus about the diagnosis, indications for VR and its outcomes.

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Semen hyperviscosity impairs sperm motility and can lead to male infertility. This prospective study aimed at assessing the ability of exogenous DNase in improving sperm quality, taking into consideration that DNase has been found in the seminal plasma of several species and that neutrophils release chromatin in order to trap bacteria. A total of seventy-seven semen samples with high seminal viscosity (HSV) as the study group and sixty-two semen samples with normal seminal viscosity (NSV) as the control group were compared in this analysis.

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Aim: At present, routine laboratory investigation of the infectious agents implicated in female genital infections is mainly based on culture/direct fluorescence antibody (DFA) (immunofluorescence antibody test) results of cervicovaginal secretions. In this study the use of the menstrual tissue is introduced for the molecular detection of pathogens which are implicated in female infertility.

Material And Methods: Cervicovaginal secretions and menstrual tissue samples of 87 women (mean age 34.

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Studies have documented the presence of herpes viruses in semen. The aim of our study was to determine whether they persist in semen samples following two-density gradient centrifugation for IVF purposes. Semen samples were collected from 109 men seeking fertility evaluation, prior to IVF treatment.

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