Effects of anti sperm antibodies on infertility in Egyptian couples

Immunoinfertility is one of several causes of infertility in humans. Dozens of sperm antigens have been isolated and characterized in association with infertility. Chronic infection, vasectomy, heavy metals and testicular cancer and torsion may induce the production of anti sperm antibodys [ASAs]. They may be responsible for decreased motility and sperm penetration of cervical mucus, and the blockage of the acrosome reaction and the sperm-egg interaction. This study was conducted to determine the ASAs levels in couples with primary and secondary infrtility. Sixty couples were examined, group A included 29 couples with primary infertility, group B included 21 couples with secondary infertility and group C included 10 couples having children which were taken as a control group. Serum prolactin, progesterone, testosterone, FSH and TSH concentrations were normal for all females. Semen analysis for all males was done and the results were within normal ranges. ASAs levels were significantly increased in both groups of primary and secondary infertility

Serum interleukin-10 and interleukin-6 levels in obese women with metabolic syndrome

Obesity, especially visceral obesity, may play a role in the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome, and is clearly linked to insulin resistance and increased risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. The metabolic syndrome is characterized by the occurrence of visceral obesity, dyslipidemia [especially high levels of triglycerides and low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol], hyperglycemia and hypertension. Although circulating levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines as interleukin-6 [IL-6] and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-alpha] as well as other markers of inflammation as C-reactive protein [CRP] have been shown to be elevated in obesity, nothing is known about the role of anti-inflammatory cytokines. So, this study was conducted to determine interleukin-10 [IL-10] levels in obese women with or without metabolic syndrome. This study included 3 groups of women, 20 obese women without metabolic syndrome, 20 obese women with metabolic syndrome and 15 normal lean women as a control group. The study showed that CRP levels were significantly elevated in obese women with metabolic syndrome compared with those without metabolic syndrome, and also CRP levels were significantly elevated in obese women with or without metabolic syndrome compared with lean women. IL-6 levels were significantly increased in obese women compared with lean subjects but no significant difference was found between obese women with or without metabolic syndrome. IL-10 levels were significantly increased in obese women with or without metabolic syndrome compared with lean women. Moreover, IL-10 levels were significantly lower in obese women with metabolic syndrome compared with obese women without metabolic syndrome

Increased risk of ischemic heart disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients: possible methotrexate inducted hyperhomocysteinemia

A retrospective case-control study including 69 rheumatoid arthritis [RA] patients was conducted. They were all diagnosed and receiving a steady treatment regimen for the last three years at least. They all met the American College of Rheumatology [ACR] criteria for the classification of RA17. They were classified into three groups. In addition, a control group of 23 osteoarthritis patients was also included. The study concluded that the plasma levels of homocysteine appear to be increased in RA. However, this increase appears to be of a minor implication in the development of IHD, at least in the early years of the disease. The potent suppressors of inflammation, particularly MTX supplemented with folic acid, decrease the risk of IHD in rheumatoid patients

Plasma Nitric oxide levels in liver cirrhosis

Chronic liver diseases are often characterized by portal hypertension an important component is increased intrahepatic vascular resistance. It is now established that nitric oxide is a key factor in the hemodynamic abnormalities associated with liver cirrhosis and chronic portal hypertension. The aim of this work is to measure plasma levels of nitric oxide in patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension and to find out the correlation between nitric oxide levels and stage and severity of cirrhosis and between nitric oxide levels and parameters of hyperdynamic circulation. The study included 45 patients with cirrhosis which were divided into 3 groups. The first group included 15 cirrhotic patients Child class A, the second group included 15 cirrhotic patients Child class B and the third group included 15 cirrhotic patients Child class C. A control group included 12 healthy subjects. This study showed that nitric oxide levels determined as the stable end product nitrate, measured by photometric means, are highly significantly increased among cirrhotic patients Child class A, or class B, or class C groups compared to the healthy controls [p<0.01]. Furthermore, nitric oxide levels are highly significantly increased in cirrhotic patients with ascites [Child class B or class C groups] compared to those without ascites [Child class A group] [p<0.01]. Moreover, there was significant difference of Nitric oxide between child class B and class C groups which means that Nitric Oxide level increases proportionally with the severity of cirrhosis. Also cirrhotic patients [Child class A, or class B, or class C] have highly significantly increased cardiac index [p<0.01] and decreased mean arterial pressure [p<0.01] compared to healthy controls. Moreover, there is highly significant negative correlation between nitric oxide levels and mean arterial pressure and highly significant positive correlation between nitric oxide levels and cardiac index

Plasma homocysteine levels in cerbrovascular strokes

Seventy adult subjects were included in this study and subdivided into four groups: The first group included 10 healthy lean subjects as a control group, the second group included 20 patients with high risk factors as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and/or smoking, the third group included 20 patients with cerebrovascular stroke and having one or more of the risk factors, while the fourth group included 20 patients with stroke having none of the above-mentioned risk factors. This study showed that homocysteine was significantly elevated in the three different groups of patients compared with the control group. Although homocysteine levels were higher in both groups of patients with stroke compared with the non- stroke patients with risk factors, the difference was not statistically significant. Also, this study showed that there were significant elevated levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin in both groups of patients with risk factors compared with the control group or the group of patients with stroke, but without having risk factors other than hyper homocysteine. In addition, the study showed that there was a significant positive correlation between homocysteine and age, body mass index [BMI], blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol and low lipoprotein cholesterol