RNA-containing cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in ciliated bronchial epithelium months to years after acute Kawasaki disease

Background

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed nations. The KD etiologic agent is unknown but likely to be a ubiquitous microbe that usually causes asymptomatic childhood infection, resulting in KD only in genetically susceptible individuals. KD synthetic antibodies made from prevalent IgA gene sequences in KD arterial tissue detect intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (ICI) resembling viral ICI in acute KD but not control infant ciliated bronchial epithelium. The prevalence of ICI in late-stage KD fatalities and in older individuals with non-KD illness should be low, unless persistent infection is common.

Methods and Principal Findings

Lung tissue from late-stage KD fatalities and non-infant controls was examined by light microscopy for the presence of ICI. Nucleic acid stains and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed on tissues that were strongly positive for ICI. ICI were present in ciliated bronchial epithelium in 6/7 (86%) late-stage KD fatalities and 7/27 (26%) controls ages 9–84 years (p = 0.01). Nucleic acid stains revealed RNA but not DNA within the ICI. ICI were also identified in lung macrophages in some KD cases. TEM of bronchial epithelium and macrophages from KD cases revealed finely granular homogeneous ICI.

Significance

These findings are consistent with a previously unidentified, ubiquitous RNA virus that forms ICI and can result in persistent infection in bronchial epithelium and macrophages as the etiologic agent of KD.     

Relationships between bacteriospermia,DNA integrity,nuclear protamine alteration,sperm quality and ICSI outcome

The Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bacteriospermia on human sperm parameters, nuclear protamines, DNA integrity and ICSI outcome in patients enrolled for ICSI treatment. 84 unselected couples consulting in infertility and obstetrics clinic and enrolled for ICSI treatment were included in this study. The semen specimens were screened bacteriologically; semen and sperm parameters were also evaluated according to WHO guidelines. DNA integrity, protamines concentration and protamine deficiency were estimated by TUNEL assay, AU-PAGE and Chromomycin (CMA3) respectively. The results of this study revealed that 34.52% of studied semen samples were infected with bacteria. The isolated bacteria were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, Staph. epidermidis, Staph. haemolyticus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus agalactiae. Bacteriospermia had a significant (p?<?.010) negative effect on sperm parameters; concentration, motility, progressive motility and chromatin condensation. Moreover, high DNA fragmentation with low P1 and P2 concentrations were noticed in infected patients in comparison to non-infected patients but non-significant. Also, the fertilization rate decreased significantly (p?<?.05) with infected patients. In conclusion: bacteriospermia has significant negative effect on sperm quality and fertilization rate in patients who underwent ICSI treatment.     

The relationship between preimplantation morphokinetics of human embryos and sex chromosome pattern

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the gender of human embryos and chronological changes during the two pronuclear (2PN) embryonic stage and blastocyst formation on day five after injection using time-lapse imaging and preimplantation genetic testing. A total of 120 couples who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection with preimplantation genetic testing were included in the study. Only normal embryos (n?=?416) were enrolled in this study. Time-lapse imaging data of male (n?=?227) and female (n?=?189) embryo progression was carried out to estimate the times of initial appearance of the 2PN stage, fading times and day five blastulation rates. The results revealed that the 2PN stage (fertilisation) was reached significantly earlier in female embryos (9.09?±?1.31?h) than in male embryos (9.52?±?1.48?h, p-value?=?0.0044). Conversely, the fading time of 2PN was significantly faster in male embryos (22.13?±?2.02) than in female embryos (24.16?±?2.61, p-value < 0.001). The blastulation rate was significantly higher in female than male embryos (68.25% vs. 57.71%; p-value?=?0.025).     

Complications of triple pregnancy following intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a case report.

A case is presented of pregnancy and delivery of triplets following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) therapy. Although the outcome was satisfactory, with the birth of normal children free from any malformation, most of the obstetric and particularly the neonatal complications that can be associated with this therapy are illustrated in this case. In addition, from point of view of medical costs, concerns are raised about the current policy of multiple embryo transfer which is directly responsible for the high rate of multiple gestations observed in the IVF/ICSI programme. The authors consequently recommend a policy of transferring not more than two embryos per treatment cycle.     

Association between the single nucleotide variants of the mitochondrial cytochrome B gene (MT-CYB) and the male infertility

Molecular Biology Reports - Idiopathic male infertility can be attributed to genetic predispositions that affect sperm performance and function. Genetic alterations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)...