Assessment of seminal maltase activity as a marker of epididymal function in male infertility cases with varicocele

Plasma testosterone level, seminal maltase activity and the protein content of seminal plasma were determined in 20 primary infertile male subjects, of one year duration or more, with varicocele before and after high ligature varicocelectomy and in 10 fertile volunteers serving as control. There was a statistically highly significant decrease in seminal maltase activity in infertile subjects as compared with the controls. This marked decrease in the activity of the enzyme may be attributed to failure of epididymal epithelium to utilize the available hormone properly, since the plasma testosterone levels were revealed to be within normal in this study. Statistically, there was a highly significant elevation of seminal maltase activity in infertile cases 2 months after varicocelectomy as compared with the enzyme activity in the same cases before the operation. There was a positive correlation between plasma testosterone level and the specific activity of seminal maltase in study cases. There was also a highly significant positive correlation between sperm density and the specific activity of seminal maltase. No significant difference was found in seminal plasma protein, between study cases and the control group

Serotonin: a marker of seminal quality, is it true?

Blood serotonin level and serum monoamine oxidase [MAO] activity were determined in 35 inferile male subjects of half to 13 year durations [15 subjects with varicocele, 11 non varicocele and 9 postvaricocelectomy], and in ten fertile volunteers serving as controls. Blood serotonin level together with serum MAO activity were significantly increased in infertile subjects as compared with those of the controls. Blood serotonin level was found to be significantly negatively correlated to both sperm count [r=-0.7567, P< 0.01] and motility [r=-0.7611, P< 0.01] in the nonvaricocele subjects. Also, a highly significant negative correlation between blood serotonin level and sperm motility was found in varicocele patients [r=-0.7383, P< 0.001], While correlations between blood serotonin level with sperm count and motility in the other studied inferile groups were negative but did not reach the level of significance. Serotonin may be considered as a compound to be assessed to evaluate male factor. Also, the efficacy of an antiserotoninergic treatment in infertile patients with impaired serotonin metabolism should be evaluated

Pathogenesis of psoriasis

Koebner phenomenon was elecited in a group of 40 patients who had active psoriasis using dermabrasion. Study of the subsequent evolution of the lesion and the histopathologic aspects of the developing lesions favour the assumption of an epidermodermal genesis of psoriasis because of simultaneous development of epidermal and dermal changes

Dermal vascular changes in pityriasis versicolour-a histochemical study

Ten cases of pityriasis versicolour were investigated for dermal vascular changes. The reaction for alkaline phosphatase and adinosine triphosphatase enzymes revealed both physiological and anatomical changes in the dermal vessels

Chronic prostatits: a clinico bacteriologic study

In a detailed clinico-bacteriologic study of 300 cases, 25% of cases with a clinical diagnosis of chronic prostatitis yielded a sterile culture, while 25% of cases with a clinical diagnosis of prostatic congestion yielded a positive culture. Thus the diagnosis should be confirmed bacteriologically. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest pathogen. Commensal organisms were obtained in 34.8% of cases. This high incidence might indicate some pathogenic role for these organisms in our view. Chronic prostatitis is a definite clinical and bacteriological entity, diagnosis is frequently made in patents at the age of maximal sexual activity