Spermatozoal immobilization ability and virulence genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from the semen of infertile men / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of Staphylococcus aureus from infertile men on sperm motility and the relationship between virulence genes and the activity of spermatozoal immobilization.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected 60 strains of non-repeated Staphylococcus aureus from the semen of 589 infertile males and analyzed the influence of Staphylococcus aureus on sperm motility using the computer-aided sperm analysis system. We selected the strains that apparently decreased sperm motility and detected their virulence genes by PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sperm motility was significantly decreased in 17 of the 60 strains of Staphylococcus aureus (P < 0.05). The main virulence genes in these strains were hlg (33.3%), scn (23.3%), cna (20%), hlb (20%), and clfA (18.3%), others including icaA, fnbA, tst, seb, hld, eta and sea. The scn gene carriers accounted for 47.1% in the spermatozal immobilization positive group, significantly higher than 14% in the negative group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found in the percentages of the carriers of the other virulence genes between the two groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Infections of Staphylococcus aureus in male reproductive system can lead to the decrease of sperm motility, which may be associated with the Staphylococcus complement inhibitor encoding gene scn.</p>

Antimicrobial resistance characteristics of and disinfectant-resistant gene distribution in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from male urogenital tract infection / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the antibiotic- and disinfectant-resistance features of and disinfectant-resistant gene distribution in Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) isolated from the urogenital tract of male patients with urogenital tract infection (UTI). total of 152 Sa isolates were collected from the urethral discharge specimens from male UTI patients. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of antimicrobial agents and disinfectants commonly used against Sa were tested by standard ager dilution; the methicillin-resistant Sa (MRSA) isolates detected by cefoxitin disk diffusion and mecA gene amplification; Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) genotyping performed by multiplex PCR; the disinfectants gene qac (quaternary ammonium compound) amplified by PCR; and the clonal relatedness of qacA/B-positive MRSA isolates investigated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of the 152 Sa isolates, 91 (59.9%) were found to be MRSA. SCCmec genotyping showed SCCmec V to be the main type, accounting for 63.7% (58/91), with 8 (8.8%) isolates of SCCmec I, 2 (2.2%) isolates of SCCmec II, 19 (20.9%) isolates of SCCmec III, and 4 (4. 4%) isolates of SCCmec IV. The Sa isolates exhibited high rates of non-susceptibility to penicillin (95.4%) , erythromycin (72.4% ) , ciprofloxacin (42. 8%), and levofloxacin (44.7%), and a fairly high sensitivity to nitrofurantoin, teicoplanin, linezolid, and vancomycin. The MIC in the Sa isolates was 0. 25 -16 microg/ml for chlorhexidine; MIC50 and MIC90 were 2.0 and 4.0 microg/ml respectively for MRSA strains and both 1.0 microg/ml for MSSA strains. Out of the 152 Sa isolates, 72 (47.4%) harbored the qacA/B gene, 6 (3.9%) the smar (qacC + qacD) gene, 9 (5.9%) the qacE delta 1 gene, and 2 (1.3%) the qacH gene, but no qacG and qacJ genes were detected. PFGE analysis showed that the qacA/B-positive MRSA isolates were distributed</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Clinical Sa isolates exhibited varied degrees of resistance to commonly used antibiotics, and in a polyclonal manner. some showed a robust tolerance to chlorhexidine. The main disinfectant-resistant gene is qacA/B. Antimicrobial agents and disinfectants should be used rationally according to clinicians.</p>

CD4+CD25+high regulatory T cells in patients with autoimmune hepatitis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of CD4+CD25+high regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CD4+CD25+ high regulatory T cells and CD4+ T cells were measured by using flow cytometry in 16 patients with autoimmune hepatitis, 22 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 20 healthy blood donors. Foxp3 protein was detected by immunohistochemical assay in liver tissues from the patients with autoimmune hepatitis or chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The percentage of CD4+CD25+high/CD4+ in patients with autoimmune hepatitis was significantly lower than that in healthy controls and patients with chronic hepatitis B. Meanwhile, the percentage of CD4+CD25+high/CD4+ highly increased in patients with chronic hepatitis B, compared with healthy controls; Foxp3 positive cells were mostly located in the hepatic lobular perisinusoidal spaces and the portal tract, and there was a significant difference in the quantity of Foxp3 positive cells between patients with autoimmune hepatitis and chronic hepatitis B.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Patients with autoimmune hepatitis harbor a decreased percentage of CD4+CD25+ high regulatory T cells, which may be associated with development of autoimmunity.</p>