Ovarian Stimulation Effects on Ghrelin Secretion and Reproductive Potential.

Objective: Finely regulated Ghrelin (Ghrl) secretion is essential during early pregnancy, as infra or supraphysiologic levels can be detrimental. Since oestrogens stimulate Ghrl synthesis, ovarian stimulation (OS) might increase ghrelinemia, thus being detrimental for fertility. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether OS increases ghrelinemia and associates with maternal endocrine and immune biomarkers and reproductive success.

CD8 T cells are dispensable for experimental autoimmune prostatitis induction and chronic pelvic pain development.

Introduction: Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome or Chronic Prostatitis (CPPS/CP) is the most prevalent urologic affliction among young adult men. It is a challenging condition to treat, which significantly decreases patient quality of life, mostly because of its still uncertain aetiology. In that regard, an autoimmune origin is a prominent supported theory.

Ghrelin misbalance affects mice embryo implantation and pregnancy success by uterine immune dysregulation and nitrosative stress.

Introduction: In a previous study we found that ghrelin (Ghrl) misbalance during the peri-implantation period significantly impaired fetus development. In this study we aimed to evaluate the putative mechanisms underlying these effects, including embryo implantation success, uterine nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, nitric oxide synthesis and the inflammatory/immune uterine profile.

Methods: Ghrelin misbalance was induced by injecting 4nmol/animal/day of Ghrl (hyperghrelinemia) or 6nmol/animal/day of a Ghrl antagonist (Ant: (D-Lys3)GHRP-6) from day 3 to 8 of pregnancy.

Persistent oligonecrozoospermia after asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. A case report and literature review.

COVID-19 is known to have deleterious effects on different systems such as the respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous, and gastrointestinal. However, conflicting data about the possible implications for male reproductive health and fertility have been reported. In addition, the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection remain unclear.

Expression of HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins alters developmental cycle and induces increased levels of immune regulatory molecules.

Introduction: Infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a recognized risk factor for (CT) infection and vice versa. Coinfection of HPV and CT in women is a very common and usually asymptomatic finding that has been linked to increased risk of cervical cancer. It has been demonstrated that CT facilitates the entry of multiple high risk HPV genotypes, leading to damage of the mucosal barrier and interfering with immune responses and viral clearance, which ultimately favours viral persistence and malignant transformation.

COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery.

COVID-19 exerts deleterious effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems, causing more severe disease in men than in women. However, cumulative reported data about the putative consequences on the male reproductive tract and fertility are controversial. Furthermore, the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are still uncertain.

Immune Alterations in a Patient With Hyperornithinemia-Hyperammonemia-Homocitrullinuria Syndrome: A Case Report.

The hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria (HHH) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of the urea cycle caused by mutations in the gene. Besides the well-known metabolic complications, patients often present intercurrent infections associated with acute hyperammonemia and metabolic decompensation. However, it is currently unknown whether intercurrent infections are associated with immunological alterations besides the known metabolic imbalances.

Interferon γ, IL-17, and IL-1β impair sperm motility and viability and induce sperm apoptosis.

Urogenital inflammation is a known cause of male infertility. Increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, leukocyte counts and oxidative stress are highly detrimental for sperm quality thus compromising male fertility. Although cytokines affect sperm by recruiting and activating leukocytes consequently inducing tissue inflammation and oxidative stress, scarce to absent data have been reported about the putative direct effects of inflammatory cytokines on spermatozoa.

Association between Human Papillomavirus and Chlamydia trachomatis genital infections in male partners of infertile couples.

The prevalence of HPV infection and its relationship with other sexually transmitted infections was analyzed in a cohort of 117 male partners of infertile couples from Cordoba, Argentina. Semen samples and urethral swabs were obtained and the infection with HPV, Chlamydia trachomatis, HSV1, HSV2, Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum was analyzed. A prevalence of HPV infection of 27.

Results from a large cross-sectional study assessing Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma spp. and Mycoplasma hominis urogenital infections in patients with primary infertility.

Female and male infertility have been associated to Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma spp. and Mycoplasma hominis urogenital infections. However, evidence from large studies assessing their prevalence and putative associations in patients with infertility is still scarce.

Patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome show T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 self-reactive immune responses specific to prostate and seminal antigens and diminished semen quality.

Objectives: To assess the presence of self-reactive immune responses to seminal and prostate antigens (PAg), biomarkers of inflammation of the male genital tract, and semen quality parameters in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

Patients, Subjects And Methods: Peripheral blood and semen samples were collected from patients with CP/CPPS and age-matched healthy control volunteers. We analysed the lymphoproliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to different seminal plasma (SP)-derived and purified PAg, serum autoantibodies specific to PAg, leucocyte subpopulations, and inflammatory cytokines in semen, sperm apoptosis/necrosis, and semen quality parameters.

Differences in T regulatory cells between mouse strains frequently used in immunological research: Treg cell quantities and subpopulations in NOD, B6 and BALB/c mice.

Foxp3 Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for the maintenance of tolerance to self. Therefore, it is expected that lower numbers and/or less than optimal function could impact on the functioning of the immune system, and thereby contributing to the development of autoimmune diseases. In the present report, by comparing Tregs from most frequently used mouse strains in immunological research (C57BL/6 (B6), BALB/c and NOD), we provide evidence showing that the NOD mouse strain, highly predisposed to develop autoimmune responses, exhibit a generalized decreased in Tregs counts with enhanced proportions of CD44CD62L Tregs when compared with BALB/c mice.

T Regulatory Cells From Non-obese Diabetic Mice Show Low Responsiveness to IL-2 Stimulation and Exhibit Differential Expression of Anergy-Related and Ubiquitination Factors.

Foxp3+ Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are pivotal for the maintenance of tolerance. Alterations in their number and/or function have been proposed to occur in the autoimmune-prone non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Comparing the frequencies and absolute numbers of CD4+Foxp3+CD25+ Tregs among 4 to 6-week old NOD, B6, and BALB/c mice, we observed differences in counts and Foxp3 expression in Tregs from secondary lymphoid organs, but not in the thymus.

A Plasmonic Approach to Study Protein Interaction Kinetics through the Dimerization of Functionalized Ag Nanoparticles.

Understanding the kinetics of protein interactions plays a key role in biology with significant implications for the design of analytical methods for disease monitoring and diagnosis in medical care, research and industrial applications. Herein, we introduce a novel plasmonic approach to study the binding kinetics of protein-ligand interactions following the formation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) dimers by UV-Vis spectroscopy that can be used as probes for antigen detection and quantification. To illustrate and test the method, the kinetics of the prototype biotin-streptavidin (Biot-STV) pair interaction was studied.

IL-10 Producing B Cells Dampen Protective T Cell Response and Allow Infection of the Male Genital Tract.

A significant proportion of individuals develop chronic, persistent and recurrent genital tract infections with , which has been attributed to the numerous strategies that the bacterium uses to subvert host immune responses. Animal chlamydia models have demonstrated that protective immune response is mediated by CD4 Th1 cytokine responses. Herein, we demonstrate that early after infecting the male genital tract, triggers the production of IL-10 by splenic and lymph node cells.

Implications of prostate inflammation on male fertility.

The prostate is the seat of three major causes of morbidity: benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer and prostatitis, three conditions in which inflammation has been implicated. A state of inflammation of the prostate gland, originally incited by an infection, an autoimmune response, a neurogenic stimulus or another trigger may have consequences on prostate functionality. In fact, male fertility depends intrinsically on the content of prostatic fluid factors secreted by the prostatic epithelium.

Enzyme-Free Immunoassay Using Silver Nanoparticles for Detection of Gliadin at Ultralow Concentrations.

Determination of biomarkers in clinical or food samples is of crucial importance for monitoring, prevention, and care of public health. The standard procedure used for this purpose is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which makes use of the specific antibody-antigen biorecognition and the catalytic effect of the enzymes. One of the main shortcomings of this technique is the use of enzymes that often present low chemical and thermal stabilities compared to other chemicals.

Erratum: Chlamydia trachomatis neither exerts deleterious effects on spermatozoa nor impairs male fertility.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.

Male genital tract immune response against infection.

is the most commonly reported agent of sexually transmitted bacterial infections worldwide. This pathogen frequently leads to persistent, long-term, subclinical infections, which in turn may cause severe pathology in susceptible hosts. This is in part due to the strategies that uses to survive within epithelial cells and to evade the host immune response, such as subverting intracellular trafficking, interfering signaling pathways and preventing apoptosis.

Immunological Mechanisms Underlying Chronic Pelvic Pain and Prostate Inflammation in Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome.

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is the most common urologic morbidity in men younger than 50 years and is characterized by a diverse range of pain and inflammatory symptoms, both in type and severity, that involve the region of the pelvis, perineum, scrotum, rectum, testes, penis, and lower back. In most patients, pain is accompanied by inflammation in the absence of an invading infectious agent. Since CP/CPPS etiology is still not well established, available therapeutic options for patients are far from satisfactory for either physicians or patients.