Pediatric germ cell tumors and parental infertility and infertility treatment: a Children's Oncology Group report

Background

Few risk factors have been established for childhood germ cell tumors (GCT). Parental infertility and infertility treatment may be associated with GCT development but these risk factors have not been fully investigated.

Methods

A case–control study of childhood GCT was conducted through the Children's Oncology Group (COG). Cases, under the age of 15 years at diagnosis, were recruited through COG institutions from January 1993 to December 2002. Controls were obtained through random digit dialing. Information about infertility and infertility treatment along with demographic factors was collection through maternal interviews. Subgroups created by gender, age at diagnosis, and tumor location were examined separately. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

Overall, no association between GCT and infertility or its treatment was found. In subgroup analysis, females whose mothers had two or more fetal losses were found to be at increased risk for non-gonadal tumors (Odds ratio (OR) = 3.32, 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 1.12–9.88). Younger maternal age was associated with a lower risk of gonadal GCT in females (OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.28–0.96). There was an increased risk of all GCT and gonadal GCT in males born to older mothers (OR = 2.88, 95% CI = 1.13–7.37 and OR = 3.70, 95% CI = 1.12–12.24).

Conclusion

While no association between parental infertility or its treatment and childhood GCT was found overall, possible associations with maternal age and history of recurrent fetal loss were found in subgroups defined by gender.     

Ovarian hydrobursitis in female camels (Camelus dromedarius): the role of Chlamydophila abortus and a trial for medical treatment

The occurrence of Chlamydophila abortus in female camels affected with ovarian hydrobursitis and a trial for medical treatment were studied. A total of 111 cases were included in two experiments. In Experiment 1, sera from 51 affected cases were tested for C. abortus antibody using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In Experiment 2, 60 female camels affected with bilateral ovarian hydrobursitis were divided into treated and control groups (n = 30 each). Based on the bursal diameter, females of both groups were subdivided into those having small (< 5 cm), medium (5-7 cm) or large (> 7 cm) bursae. Treated group received 20 mg/kg body weight oxytetracycline intramuscular, 4% lotagen intrauterine, and 500 μg cloprostenol intramuscular. Controls did not receive any treatment. All females were observed for 90 days non-return rate (NRR) and calving rate (CR). Antibodies against C. abortus were observed in 44/51 (86.3%) of the affected females. The 90 days NRR of the treated and control groups were 13/30 (43.3%) and 0/30 (0.0%), respectively, (P = 0.001), while the CR were 10/30 (33.3%) and 0/30 (0.0%), respectively, (P = 0.01). Based on bursal size, the 90 days NRR were 11/15 (73.3%), 2/7 (28.6%) and 0/8 (0.0%) for treated females having small, medium and large bursa, while the CR were 9/15 (60%), 1/7 (14.3%), and 0/8 (0.0%), respectively, (P = 0.01). In conclusion, it seems that C. abortus may be responsible for the spreading of the ovarian hydrobursitis syndrome in dromedaries. Small sized bursa could be medically treated.     

Hereditary haemochromatosis gene (HFE) H63D mutation shows an association with abnormal sperm motility

The aim of this study was to screen infertile men for HFE H63D mutation in correlation with clinical characteristics of infertile men (sperm concentration, sperm motility, morphology, testicular volume, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and total Testosterone levels) and find out if the HFE H63D mutation has an effect on male infertility. After excluding hormonal treatment, any scrotal pathology, having any systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, sickle cell anemia and microdeletions of the Y chromosome, a total of 148 infertile men with age range between 17 and 52-years-old (average age 29.6 ± 7.2) were enrolled into the study. Our analysis indicates that the mean FSH levels are significantly higher (6.3 ± 4.6 mIU/ml, P = 0.03), whereas sperm motility is significantly lower (36.6 ± 28.1%, P = 0.01) in the infertile men with the HFE H63D mutation compared with subjects lacking this mutation. Comparison of allele frequencies of the infertile men with Ts < 50% versus the infertile men with Ts > 50% revealed a significant difference as expected (P = 0.001, OR = 0.14, %95 CI = 0.04–0.44). Comparison of allele frequencies of infertile men with abnormal sperm motility versus infertile men with normal sperm motility revealed a highly significant difference (P = 0.005, OR = 3.11, %95 CI = 1.41–6.86). Thus, the HFE H63D mutation seems to be an important risk factor for impaired sperm motility and is clinically associated with male infertility.     

A new method for rapid determination of sperm concentration in bull and ram semen

A simple method for rapid evaluation of bull and ram sperm concentration is described. In this technique, a sample from an undiluted specimen was placed in a special 10-mum counting chamber and examined either by an ordinary or a phase-contrast microscope. The pattern distribution of the observed spermatozoa was matched as closely as possible with one of five pictures of a standard scale. This scale was prepared from serial photomicrographs that ranged from 100 to 1500 million per ml. The number that appeared at the corresponding photograph immediately indicated the sperm concentration of the tested specimen. In this way values up to 1500 million per ml could be determined rapidly with no further procedures. More concentrated specimens needed slight dilution to make them suitable for direct evaluation. Accuracy and reliability were statistically evaluated; the mean deviation from the conventional method was less than 15.2% with confidence level of 95%.     

不育症精子乳酸脱氢酶同工酶C_4的细胞化学定位、定量研究

本文采用酶细胞化学方法,在光镜下用积分分级计数法,全自动图像分析仪检测精子ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性,两法测定ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性显著正相关（ｒ＝０．８０１和０．７４２,Ｐ＜０．０１）;ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４酶细胞化学电镜技术观察精子ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性,通过计数酶点可测定ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性。本文检查３８例不育男性和２０例已生育男性精子ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性,ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４主要分布于精子ＳＴＭ及胞质,其次是顶体及质膜表面。可通过胞膜外逸到精浆,ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４在各部活性比值为５∶２∶１∶１。不育组精子ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４可能通过膜破损处外漏到精浆使精子内ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４显著减少,ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４在精子顶体亦显著减少,使不育组精子ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性显著低于生育组精子,提示ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性的定位和大小直接与生育能力相关,检测ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４活性可作为检查不育症精子质量的可靠指标。ＬＤＨ－Ｃ４与精子密度显著相关（ｒ＝０．７３７和－０．４９３,Ｐ＜０．０５）;与活动性无相关性。     

Proenkephalin transgenic mice: A short promoter confers high testis expression and reduced fertility

The regulation and possible function of the preproenkephalin gene in testis were studied in vivo in transgenic mice containing: (1) bases ?193 to +210 of the human proenkephalin gene and an additional one kilobase of 3' proenkephalin flanking sequence driving expression of bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), and (2) the same promoter and flanking sequences driving expression of a rat proenkephalin cDNA. Five lines of mice, designated HEC1–5, expressed the first construct and 10, HER1–10, the second. Each HEC male and many HER males showed dramatic expression of the transgene in the testis, although much lower expression was observed in the brain and other enkephalin-producing tissues. High levels of expression in testis can thus be achieved with a very short promoter region and do not require intron A sequences previously considered necessary. Altered enkephalin expression may affect testicular function. One founder, HER8, displayed grossly abnormal testicular morphology and was completely infertile. A second founder, HER6, had low sperm motility. Two offspring from other lines also displayed subnormal fertility. These studies support a role for specific promoter sequences in testis expression and may further support a significant role for proenkephalin in testicular function. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

解脲脲原体感染与不孕不育

解脲脲原体是人类泌尿生殖道常见的寄生菌之一,它可以引起男女泌尿生殖道感染,其中最严重的后果认为可导致男女不孕不育。支原体感染是否与男性和女性的不孕不育有关,其致病的主要机制是什么,探讨这些问题对于防治解脲脲原体感染,减少及避免不孕不育疾病的发生有重要意义。本文对近年来关于解脲脲原体感染导致女性不孕和男性不育的机制进行了综合概述。