Varicocelectomy is associated with increased seminal antioxidant level in infertile men with varicocele

Objectives: To explore the impact of surgical correction of varicocele on antioxidant defense system, we assessed spermatozoal reactive oxygen species [ROS] and total antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma from infertile men with varicoceles pre and post varicocelectomy

Patients and Methods: A total of 58 patients with varicocele who presented for evaluation of infertility were studied, the duration of infertility was 12 months. All patients were subjected pre-operatively to seminal fluid analysis, seminal plasma levels of two ROS: malondialdehyde [MDA] and hydrogen peroxide [H2O2] and one ROS radical; nitric oxide [NO] were estimated as well as 4 antioxidants namely; superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione perioxidase [GPX], Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Varicocelectomy was done in all patients by the laparoscopic method. Semen analysis and seminal fluid levels of MDA, H2O2, NO, SOD, GPX, Vitamin E and Vitamin C, were measured 3 and 6 months after varicocelectomy

Results: A statisticany significant improvement was noticed in all seminal parameters 3 and 6 months after varicocelectomy. There was also a significant reduction in the level of MDA, H2O2 and NO when comparing with the pre-operative values. A further significant reduction in the three ROS levels took place after 6 months. Three of the four antioxidants tested [SOD, GPX and Vitamin C] showed a significant increase in seminal plasma at 3 and 6 months after varicocelectomy when compared with the pre-operative values. Alternatively, seminal plasma level of Vitamin E showed a significant decrease at 3 and 6 months post-operatively

Conclusion: These results suggest that varicocele is associated with elevated seminal reactive oxygen species, decreased seminal total antioxidant agents and sperm dysfunction. Our data propose that varicocelectomy reduced seminal ROS levels and increased total antioxidant capacity levels. However, the use of antioxidants in infertile men with or without varicocele demands further controlled clinical trials

Relation between circulating monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and early development of nephropathy in type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents

Background: nephropathy and renal failure are considered as one of the major complications of diabetes. Microalbuminuria is regarded as the earliest clinical sign of incipient nephropathy. A causal relationship between chronic hyperglycemia and diabetic microvascular disease has been established by various studies

Objectives: to investigate the role of hyperglycemia dependent monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 [MCP- I] in the development of early nephropathy in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes

Methods: thirty patients with type 1 diabetes were included, 15 of them with microalbuminuria and the rest without microalbuminuria. Ten healthy subjects matched for age and sex served as controls. Plasma MCP-1, lipid peroxide [LP], vitamin E, glycated hemoglobin [HbAlc], and 24 hour urine albumin were evaluated at baseline. After 8 weeks of high dose of vitamin E [600rng b.i.d], MCP-1. HbAlc and 24hours urinary albumin were evaluated again

Results: MCP-1 and LP were significantly higher, whereas vitamin E were significantly lower in patients with microalbuminuria and poor glycemic control as compared with normoalbuminic patients and controls [941.67 +/- 47.03, 622.73 +/- 103.23 and 366.60 +/- 129.01pg/ml for MCP-1 respectively, 3.27 +/- 0.48, 2.920.52 and 2.32k0.34u/gHb for LP respectively and 6.1 +/- 1.3, 7.9 +/- 1.2 and 8.2 +/- 1.3 mg/L for vitamin E, p<0.001]. Plasma MCP-1 was positively correlated with HbAlc, LP and urinary albumin, while MCP-I showed negative correlation with vitamin E. After vitamin E administration, MCP-1 and urine albumin decreased significantly despite no change in HbAlc level in the microalbuminuria patients [941.67 +/- 47.03 vs 685.67+/ 45.74pg/ml and 251.80 +/- 43.86 vs 174.80 +/- 41.74 respectively, p<0.00l]

Conclusions: prolonged hyperglycemia may lead to renal complications in type 1 diabetes. Oxidative stress increased in patients with poor glycemic control and leads to increased MCP-1 biosynthesis resulting in the recruitment of monocytes into the kidney. 27-eatment with vitamin E significantly decreased MCP-I. So vitamin E can be given beside conventional insulin therapy in type 1 diabetic patients in whom an acceptable glycemic control is difficult to achieve

Antioxidant value of bilirubin in sick and healthy neonates

To identify the beneficial role of bilirubin as an antioxidant, this study was carried out on 44 sick neonates suffering form respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, meconium aspiration and birth asphyxia; in addition to 11 healthy ones as controls. The results showed that the mean values of total bilirubin levels in controls [4.4 +/- 0.3], [9.1 +/- 0.5] and [12.8 +/- 10.7 mg/dl] in 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of life respectively, were significantly higher than [3.9 +/- 1.1], [6.3 +/- 1.5] and [8.2 +/- 2.1 mg/dl] values observed in sick group in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days of life respectively, The rate of serum bilirubin rise was 4.2 mg/dl/day in control group which was significantly higher than [2-2 mg/dl /day] in sick group- The serum lipid peroxide in controls [14.5 - +/- 1.3 nmul/ml] was significantly lower than [19.3 + /-1,05] n mol/ml in sick group. The serum lipid peroxide correlated negatively with the rate of bilirubin rise. We can conclude that jaundice is not simply an accumulation of a potentially toxic waste product but may serve a beneficial role in providing high concentration of a free radical absorbing antioxidant

study of homocysteine level in patients with coronary artery disease

Thirty five patients were selected for this study. Twenty of them were suffering from occlusion of less than two coronary arteries as proven by coronary angiography. The remaining fifteen patients were having two or more affected coronary arteries. Fifteen control healthy persons were included in the study. All the subjects were not risky, i.e. non smoker, not diabetic, not hypertensive and with negative family history of coronry artery disease [CAD]. All subjects were investigated for plasma homocysteine and folic acid levels, also serum blood glucose, creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C were done. The results showed that total plasma homocysteine [Hcy] was statistically significantly higher in the patients group than in control. A non significant lower level of plasma folate in patients than control was found with negative correlation between the level of Hcy and folate. Also no significant correlation was found between the level of Hcy and the levels of F.B.S., Triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c or serum creatinine. Results in patients group having less than 2 affected coronary arteries [group A] and patients group having 2 or more affected vessels [group B] showed that; total plasma Hcy level was non-significantly higher in group [B] than in group [A], and plasma folic acid level was non significantly lower in group B than in group A

Study of increased urinary nitrite excretion as a diagnostic marker for minmal change nephrotic syndrome

Urinary excretion of nitrite [a stable metabolite of nitric oxide] was estimated in children with nephrotic syndrome and healthy children as a control group. Urinary nitrite level was significantly increased in patients with nephrotic syndrome when compared with control group [p < 0.001]. It was significantly higher in patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome than control group [p < 0.0001]. In contrast it showed no significant change in patients with non minimal change nephrotic syndrome when compared to control group [p > 0.05]. No significant difference could be detected in urinary nitrite level between the attack and remission in patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome. We concluded that estimation of urinary nitrite level can be considered as a diagnostic marker for minimal change nephrotic syndrome. It is an easy rapid and non invasive test to discriminate it from other causes of nephrotic syndrome

Which hormone is the best for diagnosis of polycystic ovary disease?

To study which hormone is the best for diagnosis of polycystic ovary disease [PCO], luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle stimulating hormone [FSH], testosterone, androstenedione and estradiol were assessed by radioimmunoassay in twenty four women with clinical and ultrasound diagnosis of polycystic ovary disease. Fourteen healthy women were selected as a control group. Blood samples were withdrawn in the early follicular phase [day 2-3] and sera were separated and frozen until assayed. There were significant increase in the levels of LH, LH/FSH ratio, testosterone and androstenedione in PCO group when compared to the control group. These levels were in the abnormal range for 50%, 62.5% 96% and 75% of patients respectively. So, the most frequently abnormal hormone was testosterone. There was no significant difference in FSH and estradiol between the two groups. We concluded that, the best single hormone for diagnosis of PCO was testosterone. Combination with any of LH, LH/FSH ratio or androstenedione increased the sensitivity as biochemical markers for PCO disease up to 100%

Immune complex deposits in the duodenal mucosa of duodenal ulcer patients

A hypothesis was previously proposed for chronic duodenal ulcer to be due to a local Arthus reaction in the duodenal mucosa. The present study searched for immune complex deposits in the duodenal mucosa of 20 patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer. Their ages ranged from 21-48 years. 16 of them were males. Immune complex deposits were found by direct immunofluorescent technique in 6 non smoker patients [39%] with no history of ulcerogenic drug intake. Two of them were females. This observation added to others may suggest an immunologic basis of a subgroup of chronic duodenal ulcer patients