Relationship between polymorphisms in the FAS/FASL death receptor system and progression of low-grade precursor lesions infected with high-risk human papilloma virus.

Squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) and cervical cancer are primary due to suboptimal immune response against human papillomavirus (HPV). The FASL/FAS system is a trigger of extrinsic pathway apoptosis. The distribution of polymorphisms rs1800682 (-670 A > G) FAS and rs763110 (-844C > T) FASL was studied in cervical smears from 372 females (182 with stable or regressed low-grade SIL (LSIL) (groupI) and a group of 190 high-grade SIL (HSIL) (groupII). No significant differences were observed for rs1800682 in FAS between the study groups. In contrast, rs763110 CC genotype of FASL was found in 35.7% of group I females, and in 50.5% of group II (p = 0.0027; OR = 1.83 (95% CI = 1.21-2.79)). When only females infected with high-risk HPV were analysed, these differences were even higher (p = 0.0024; OR = 2.21 (95% CI = 1.30-3.75)). CC genotype in FASL seems to be associated with increased risk of LSIL to HSIL progression suggesting a role in HPV tolerance, persistent infection, and HSIL development.

Characterization of glycoside residues of porcine zona pellucida and ooplasm during follicular development and atresia.

The glycoside residues (glycoconjugates, GC) of the zona pellucida (ZP) glycoproteins are important during the first phases of fecundation. Our aim in this work was to determine the lectin affinity pattern of porcine ZP in order to analyze the changes that take place during: (a) preantral folliculogenesis, (b) the follicular atresia process, and (c) antral growth. Several prepubertal and adult pig ovaries and different sized antral follicles were used. Conventional carbohydrate histochemical techniques and peroxidase and digoxigenin (DIG) lectins were used to reveal the acid groups and the glycosidic residues of the ZP. It was seen that the ZP forms in the preantral follicles throughout their growth period. In primordial and primary follicles, ZP in the process of formation showed neutral GC. SBA, RCA-I, MAA, WGA lectins, and AAA after methylation-saponification (MS) were positive in the ZP of primordial and primary follicles. The affinity for SBA, RCA-I, MAA, and WGA increased in the multilaminar-primary follicles and new affinities for UEA-I and LFA were observed. After MS, AAA, SNA, PNA, and SBA reactivity was observed. The ZP of antral follicle oocytes of different sizes showed the same lectin pattern as multilaminar-primary follicles. The oocyte ooplasm and the follicular fluid of large antral follicles showed less affinity for WGA and LFA lectins and less intensive staining with AB (pH 2.5). Atresia did not change the antral or preantral follicle oocyte ZP lectin pattern. In conclusion, the follicles showed substantial changes in their ZP glycosidic composition as they developed, especially, during the change from primary to multilaminar-primary follicles. The ZP glycosidic composition showed no significant change during the growth of antral follicles and follicular atresia in our study.

Proliferation and apoptosis of spermatogonia in postpuberal boar (Sus domesticus) testes with spontaneous unilateral and bilateral abdominal cryptorchidism.

Cryptorchidism is a frequent male sexual disorder in mammals, which affects the histology of the tunica propria, interstitial tissue, blood vessels, seminiferous epithelium and testis functioning. In this paper, proliferation and apoptosis were examined in the seminiferous epithelium of both testes from unaffected boars and from boars suffering unilateral and bilateral cryptorchidism. In germ cells, proliferation was studied using the immunohistochemical PCNA technique, and apoptosis was analysed by in situ TUNEL labelling. An index was obtained for the proliferation and apoptosis observed in seminiferous tubules. In abdominal testes the epithelium contained few spermatogonia and Sertoli cells. In the testes of unaffected boars, numerous spermatogonia proliferated, whereas in cryptorchid testes such proliferation was lower and the proliferation/apoptosis ratio diminished. In the unaffected group, the TUNEL-positive germ cells were spermatogonia and spermatocytes in different phases of meiosis. In abdominal testes, the TUNEL-positive germ cells were spermatogonia alone. The apoptosis index of both abdominal and scrotal testes was similar. In conclusion, spontaneous cryptorchid testes showed a lower rate of spermatogonia proliferation in the seminiferous epithelium.