Role of intra-individual variation in the detection of thresholds for DFI and for misclassification rates: A retrospective analysis of 14,775 SCSA tests.

Background: Sperm DNA damage is associated with reduced male fertility after natural conception and intrauterine insemination. However, the impact on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and especially intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments is still unclear. Few studies have focused on the intra-individual variation in DFI even though it may have an important role to play in terms of detection of thresholds and for misclassification rates.

Endoscopic negative-pressure treatment : From management of complications to pre-emptive active reflux drainage in abdomino-thoracic esophageal resection-A new safety concept for esophageal surgery.

Introduction: Early postoperative reflux (PR) can compromise anastomotic healing after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (ILE) and poses a risk for aspiration. Anastomotic insufficiency is the most threatening surgical complication. We present the protective method of pre-emptive active reflux drainage (PARD) with simultaneous enteral feeding.

Pre-emptive active drainage of reflux (PARD) in Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy with negative pressure and simultaneous enteral nutrition using a double-lumen open-pore film drain (dOFD).

Background: Postoperative reflux can compromise anastomotic healing after Ivor-Lewis oesophagectomy (ILE). We report on Pre-emptive Active Reflux Drainage (PARD) using a new double-lumen open-pore film drain (dOFD) with negative pressure to protect the anastomosis.

Methods: To prepare a dOFD, the gastric channel of a triluminal tube (Freka®Trelumina, Fresenius) is coated with a double-layered open-pore film (Suprasorb®CNP drainage film, Lohmann & Rauscher) over 25 cm.

Intrauterine negative-pressure therapy (IU-NPT) to treat peritonitis after caesarean section.

Objectives: We describe the first application of intrauterine negative-pressure therapy (IU-NPT) for an early rupture of a uterine suture after a third caesarean section with consecutive peritonitis and sepsis. Because all four quadrants were affected by peritonitis, a laparotomy was performed on the 15th day after caesarean section. Abdominal negative-pressure wound therapy (A-NPWT) of the open abdomen was initiated.

The DNA methylation profile of human spermatogonia at single-cell- and single-allele-resolution refutes its role in spermatogonial stem cell function and germ cell differentiation.

Human spermatogonial stem cells (hSSCs) have potential in fertility preservation of prepubertal boys or in treatment of male adults suffering from meiotic arrest. Prior to therapeutic application, in vitro propagation of rare hSSCs is mandatory. As the published data points to epigenetic alterations in long-term cell culture of spermatogonia (SPG), an initial characterisation of their DNA methylation state is important.

Open-pore film drainage (OFD): a new multipurpose tool for endoscopic negative pressure therapy (ENPT).

Background And Study Aims:  Endoscopic negative pressure therapy (ENPT) has been developed to treat gastrointestinal leakages. Up to now, ENPT has usually been performed with open-pore polyurethane foam drains (OPD). A big disadvantage of the OPDs is their large diameter.

Dynamics, ultrastructure and gene expression of human in vitro organized testis cells from testicular sperm extraction biopsies.

Study Question: Is it possible to induce in vitro reorganization of primary human testis cells from testicular sperm extraction (TESE) biopsies, maintain their long-term cultivation in a 2D system and identify cellular compositions?

Summary Answer: In vitro reorganization of primary human testis cells from TESE biopsies and their long-term cultivation on uncoated cell culture dishes is feasible and the cellular compositions can be uncovered through gene expression and microscopic analyses.

What Is Known Already: It has been shown in the rodent model that mixtures of testicular cell types are able to reassemble into clusters when cultivated on different kinds of surfaces or three-dimensional matrices. Two recent publications demonstrated the ability of primary human testicular cells to assemble into testicular organoids and their cultivation for a period of 3-4 weeks.

Radiotherapy With 4 Gy × 5 Versus 3 Gy × 10 for Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression: Final Results of the SCORE-2 Trial (ARO 2009/01).

Purpose: To compare short-course radiotherapy (RT) (4 Gy × 5) to longer-course RT (3 Gy × 10) for metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC).

Patients And Methods: Two-hundred three patients with MESCC and poor to intermediate expected survival were randomly assigned to 4 Gy × 5 in 1 week (n = 101) or 3 Gy × 10 in 2 weeks (n = 102). Patients were stratified according to ambulatory status, time developing motor deficits, and primary tumor type.

Fold-change correction values for testicular somatic transcripts in gene expression studies of human spermatogenesis.

Study Question: What are the reference values for delineating altered somatic cell gene expression from transcript enrichment/dilution in gene expression studies of human spermatogenesis?

Summary Answer: We have designed a crosstable and rule-of-thumb values for different stages of spermatogenic impairment that define the reference cut-off values for altered gene expression in Sertoli and Leydig cells in the context of impaired spermatogenesis.

What Is Known Already: Morphometrical studies have shown that on the cellular level, impaired spermatogenesis results in a relative enrichment of somatic cell types. However, until now it is not known how this affects transcript levels in gene expression studies.

Global human tissue profiling and protein network analysis reveals distinct levels of transcriptional germline-specificity and identifies target genes for male infertility.

Background: Mammalian spermatogenesis is a process that involves a complex expression program in both somatic and germ cells present in the male gonad. A number of studies have attempted to define the transcriptome of male meiosis and gametogenesis in rodents and primates. Few human transcripts, however, have been associated with testicular somatic cells and germ cells at different post-natal developmental stages and little is known about their level of germline-specificity compared with non-testicular tissues.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 is highly expressed in rarely dividing human type A spermatogonia.

Human spermatogonia (Spg) and their fetal precursors express fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). To further elucidate the role of FGFR3 in the control of Spg self-renewal, proliferation, and/or differentiation, and to narrow down the FGFR3-positive cell type(s) in the normal adult human testis, tissue sections and whole mount preparations of seminiferous tubules were analyzed combining immunofluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy. FGFR3 protein was chiefly observed in cellular membranes and cytoplasmic vesicles of a subpopulation of type A Spg, which comprised the chromatin rarefaction zone-containing type A(dark).

Assessment of the range of the HIV-1 infectivity enhancing effect of individual human semen specimen and the range of inhibition by EGCG.

Recently, it has been shown that human ejaculate enhances human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infectivity. Enhancement of infectivity is conceived to be mediated by amyloid filaments from peptides that are proteolytically released from prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), termed Semen-derived Enhancer of Virus Infection (SEVI). The aim of this study was to test the range of HIV-1 infectivity enhancing properties of a large number of individual semen samples (n = 47) in a TZM-bl reporter cell HIV infection system.

Differential marker protein expression specifies rarefaction zone-containing human Adark spermatogonia.

It is unclear whether the distinct nuclear morphologies of human A(dark) (Ad) and A(pale) (Ap) spermatogonia are manifestations of different stages of germ cell development or phases of the mitotic cycle, or whether they may reflect still unknown molecular differences. According to the classical description by Clermont, human dark type A spermatogonium (Ad) may contain one, sometimes two or three nuclear 'vacuolar spaces' representing chromatin rarefaction zones. These structures were readily discerned in paraffin sections of human testis tissue during immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses and thus represented robust morphological markers for our study.

Palliative radiotherapy--new approaches.

Most cancer patients will require radiation therapy some time during their disease. Thirty percent to 50% of all radiation treatments are palliative, either to alleviate symptoms or prophylactic to prevent deterioration of quality of life from local progressive disease. Radiotherapy is a locally effective tool.

Highly purified spermatozoal RNA obtained by a novel method indicates an unusual 28S/18S rRNA ratio and suggests impaired ribosome assembly.

Human spermatozoal RNA features special characteristics such as a significantly reduced quantity within spermatozoa compared with somatic cells is described as being devoid of ribosomal RNAs and is difficult to isolate due to a massive excess of genomic DNA in the lysates. Using a novel two-round column-based protocol for human ejaculates delivering highly purified spermatozoal RNA, we uncovered a heterogeneous, but specific banding pattern in microelectrophoresis with 28S ribosomal RNA being indicative for the amount of round cell contamination. Ejaculates with different round cell quantities and density-purified spermatozoa revealed that 18S rRNA but not 28S rRNA is inherent to a pure spermatozoal fraction.

A biopsy sample reduction approach to identify significant alterations of the testicular transcriptome in the presence of Y-chromosomal microdeletions that are independent of germ cell composition.

Y-chromosomal microdeletions (YCMD) are the major genetic cause of male infertility. To date, it is not known which global changes are induced by the presence of AZFc or AZFb+c deletions in the human testicular transcriptome. We investigated this question by microarray analysis in which we had to eliminate the 'germ cell effect', i.

Screening for biomarkers of spermatogonia within the human testis: a whole genome approach.

Background: A key step in studying the biology of spermatogonia is to determine their global gene expression profile. However, disassociation of these cells from the testis may alter their profile to a considerable degree. To characterize the molecular phenotype of human spermatogonia, including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), within their cognate microenvironment, a rare subtype of human defective spermatogenesis was exploited in which spermatogonia were the only germ cell type.

Deregulation of EZH2 expression in human spermatogenic disorders and testicular germ cell tumors.

Introduction: Enhancer of Zeste 2 (EZH2) is an epigenetic transcriptional repressor involved in cell cycle control and cell fate decisions. Since these processes play key roles during intact spermatogenesis, deregulation of EZH2 expression may contribute to the development and progression of benign and malignant testicular diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression profile of EZH2 in testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and spermatogenic defects.

Job stress and job satisfaction of physicians, radiographers, nurses and physicists working in radiotherapy: a multicenter analysis by the DEGRO Quality of Life Work Group.

Background: Ongoing changes in cancer care cause an increase in the complexity of cases which is characterized by modern treatment techniques and a higher demand for patient information about the underlying disease and therapeutic options. At the same time, the restructuring of health services and reduced funding have led to the downsizing of hospital care services. These trends strongly influence the workplace environment and are a potential source of stress and burnout among professionals working in radiotherapy.