Effect of Three Commercially Available Extenders Containing Phospholipids of Different Sources on Skopelos Buck Liquid-Stored Sperm Quality.

The effect of four extenders on buck semen quality parameters was examined during a 48 h liquid storage. Semen was collected from six Skopelos bucks and diluted in the following extenders, containing: soy lecithin (SL, OviXcell), plant phospholipids (PP, AndroMed), egg yolk lecithin (EY, Steridyl), or no phospholipids (basic extender). Samples were stored at 5 °C for 48 h and assessed at 0, 24 and 48 h for viability (eosin-nigrosin), acrosome integrity (SpermBlue), membrane functional integrity (HOST), mitochondrial function (Rhodamine 123/SYBR-14/PI) and motility parameters (CASA).

Post-Thaw Parameters of Buck Semen Quality after Soy Lecithin Extender Supplementation with Fumaric Acid.

The supplementation of cryopreservation media with antioxidants improves the post-thaw quality and fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. To maximize the fertility of frozen-thawed buck spermatozoa, further research is required to overcome obstacles that have yielded controversial results and standardize protocols. In the present work, the effect of adding fumaric acid (a well-described antioxidant) to a soy lecithin semen extender on certain quality parameters of spermatozoa following freezing and thawing was examined for the first time.

Biocompatible TiAu-Ag/Cu thin film coatings with enhanced mechanical and antimicrobial functionality.

Background: Biofilm formation on medical device surfaces is a persistent problem that shelters bacteria and encourages infections and implant rejection. One promising approach to tackle this problem is to coat the medical device with an antimicrobial material. In this work, for the first time, we impart antimicrobial functionality to TiAu intermetallic alloy thin film coatings, while maintaining their superior mechanical hardness and biocompatibility.

The addition of crocin in the freezing medium extender improves post-thaw semen quality.

Semen cryopreservation is arguably the most important method or technique contributing to the advancement of modern animal production. However, the quality of sperm after thawing is still highly variable. The addition of antioxidant compounds to the freezing medium has been used customarily to counteract the harmful effects of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) that are produced during the freeze/thaw process.

Vulnerability variables among octogenerian myeloma patients: a single-center analysis of 110 patients.

In the era of an aging population, an increasing number of patients are diagnosed with multiple myeloma at an age of ≥80. The frailty of this population as a result of coexisting comorbidities and age-related organ impairment is a significant management challenge. The aim of our study was to analyze the disease characteristics, frailty scores and toxicity profile in relation to patient outcomes.

Cardiac and renal complications of carfilzomib in patients with multiple myeloma.

Clinical trials with carfilzomib have indicated a low but reproducible incidence of cardiovascular and renal toxicities. Among 60 consecutive myeloma patients treated with carfilzomib-based regimens who were thoroughly evaluated for cardiovascular risk factors, 12% (95% confidence interval, 3.8%-20%) experienced a reversible reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by ≥20%, an objective measure of cardiac dysfunction.

Low circulating mannan-binding lectin levels correlate with increased frequency and severity of febrile episodes in myeloma patients who undergo ASCT and do not receive antibiotic prophylaxis.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who undergo autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) are susceptible to severe infections. Low levels of circulating mannan-binding lectin (MBL) are associated with increased risk of infection. In this prospective study, we evaluated 100 patients who underwent ASCT regarding the effect of MBL on the incidence and severity of febrile episodes.

Addition of cyclophosphamide and higher doses of dexamethasone do not improve outcomes of patients with AL amyloidosis treated with bortezomib.

Bortezomib, in combination with dexamethasone (VD) or with the addition of cyclophosphamide (VCD), is highly effective in patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis. Currently, VCD is considered as a primary regimen for patients with AL, but it is not clear whether the addition of cyclophosphamide to VD further and significantly improves efficacy, given the substantial activity of bortezomib itself. We retrospectively compared the outcomes of 101 patients with AL amyloidosis who received VD (n=59) or VCD (n=42) in two consecutive periods.

Renal outcomes in patients with AL amyloidosis: Prognostic factors, renal response and the impact of therapy.

A staging system for patients with renal AL amyloidosis, based on eGFR (<50 ml/min/1.73 m ) and proteinuria (≥5 g/day) at diagnosis, as well as criteria for renal progression (≥25% eGFR reduction) and response (≥30% reduction of proteinuria without renal progression) were recently proposed. We validated these criteria in a cohort of 125 patients with renal AL amyloidosis, mostly treated with bortezomib or lenalidomide.

Hematologic and renal improvement of monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease after treatment with bortezomib-based regimens.

Monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition disease (MIDD) is characterized by non-organized immunoglobulin-fragments along renal basement membranes with subsequent organ deterioration. Treatment is directed against the immunoglobulin-producing clone. We treated 18 MIDD patients with bortezomib-based regimens (12 received bortezomib-dexamethasone, 6 bortezomib-dexamethasone with cyclophosphamide).

Evaluation of the Revised International Staging System in an independent cohort of unselected patients with multiple myeloma.

The Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) was recently introduced in order to improve risk stratification over that provided by the widely used standard International Staging System. In addition to the parameters of the standard system, the R-ISS incorporates the presence of chromosomal abnormalities detected by interphase fluorescence hybridization [t(4;14), t(14;16) and del17p] and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase. The R-ISS was formulated on the basis of a large dataset of selected patients who had participated in clinical trials and has not been validated in an independent cohort of unselected patients.

High levels of periostin correlate with increased fracture rate, diffuse MRI pattern, abnormal bone remodeling and advanced disease stage in patients with newly diagnosed symptomatic multiple myeloma.

Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein that is implicated in the biology of normal bone remodeling and in different cancer cell growth and metastasis. However, there is no information on the role of periostin in multiple myeloma (MM). Thus, we evaluated periostin in six myeloma cell lines in vitro; in the bone marrow plasma and serum of 105 newly diagnosed symptomatic MM (NDMM) patients and in the serum of 23 monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), 33 smoldering MM (SMM) patients, 30 patients at the plateau phase post-first-line therapy, 30 patients at first relapse and 30 healthy controls.

Increased circulating VCAM-1 correlates with advanced disease and poor survival in patients with multiple myeloma: reduction by post-bortezomib and lenalidomide treatment.

Circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and selectins were prospectively measured in 145 newly-diagnosed patients with symptomatic myeloma (NDMM), 61 patients with asymptomatic/smoldering myeloma (SMM), 47 with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and 87 multiple myeloma (MM) patients at first relapse who received lenalidomide- or bortezomib-based treatment (RD, n=47; or VD, n=40). Patients with NDMM had increased VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 compared with MGUS and SMM patients. Elevated VCAM-1 correlated with ISS-3 and was independently associated with inferior overall survival (OS) (45 months for patients with VCAM-1 >median vs 75 months, P=0.

Bortezomib-based triplets are associated with a high probability of dialysis independence and rapid renal recovery in newly diagnosed myeloma patients with severe renal failure or those requiring dialysis.

Renal failure (RF) is a common and severe complication of symptomatic myeloma, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Such patients are commonly excluded from clinical trials. Bortezomib/dexamethasone (VD)-based regimens are the backbone of the treatment of newly diagnosed MM patients who present with severe RF even those requiring dialysis.

Double GnRH-antagonist dose before HCG administration may prevent OHSS in oocyte-donor cycles: a pilot study.

This pilot study evaluated the possibility of preventing early ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) by increasing the daily dose of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist administration (to twice a day) in oocyte-donor cycles stimulated with the antagonist protocol. The study included 72 oocyte donors who underwent ovarian stimulation using the GnRH antagonist protocol and might have had their cycle cancelled because of ovarian hyper-response. All women were donors presenting a rapid rise of oestradiol > or = 3000 pg/ml early in the stimulation period with more than 15 follicles of < or = 15 mm in diameter.