Efficacy of combined antioxidant therapy in male subfertility-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Antioxidant therapy is a potentially promising approach to improve clinical outcomes for couples undergoing assisted reproduction techniques long-term. The review aims to (a) collate evidence for the effectiveness of combined oral antioxidant supplementation, including a head-to-head comparison in the treatment of male subfertility, and (b) investigate whether other intervention features, including duration, specific combinations, or dosage affect clinical outcomes in this population. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effectiveness of combined antioxidants on male subfertility, electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched. We also searched for unpublished data and references of identified articles. Two reviewers screened eligible studies according to pre-defined criteria and relevant data extracted. The Jadad scale assessed the quality of studies. The study used RevMan version 5.4.1 Meta-analysis software to analyze the effect of combination antioxidants for each outcome measure. Metadata was presented as relative risks for dichotomous outcomes and as standardized mean differences (or mean differences) for continuous outcomes. The systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to report available evidence of whether combination antioxidant is effective and safe in sub-fertile men undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Also, this review highlighted whether any specific oral antioxidant combinations, dosage, or duration of therapy have a major influence on the clinical outcomes.

Altered immunoglobulins (A and G) in Ghanaian patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Elevated immunoglobulin levels have been strongly linked to the development and progression of inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. This study aimed to evaluate circulating immunoglobulin levels and to identify other metabolic factors that influence humoral immune response among Ghanaian subjects with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study conducted at the National Diabetes Management and Research Center, Accra. Eighty persons with type 2 diabetes were age-matched with 78 controls. Immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M; interleukin 6; fasting blood glucose; glycated hemoglobin; and lipid parameter concentrations were measured. Blood pressure, anthropometry and body composition indices were also assessed. RESULTS: Median immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G (g/L) levels were higher in the case group compared with controls (0.89 vs 0.74, p = 0.043; 7.58 vs 7.29, p < 0.001). Immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin A and interleukin 6 levels in the case cohort, respectively, associated weakly with fasting blood glucose (r = 0.252, p = 0.001; r = 0.170, p = 0.031; r = 0.296, p = 0.001). There were positive correlations within the control group for immunoglobulin A versus interleukin 6 (r = 0.366, p = 0.001) and within the case group for glycated hemoglobin versus interleukin 6 (r = 0.190, p = 0.020). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that humoral immune response is altered in subjects with type 2 diabetes and that serum immunoglobulin levels could serve as useful biomarkers in the investigation and management of diabetes mellitus.