Effects of seminal constituents in leucocyte migration tests on infertile couples.

Leucocyte migration tests were performed with cells from both partners of infertile couples in the presence of seminal constituents from the male partners. Leucocytes from fertile women were used as controls. Homogenized spermatozoa inhibited leucocyte migration in 36.1% of women and 20.7% of men from infertile couples and in 18.4% of control women. In all groups, occasional stimulation of leucocyte migration was observed (8.3%, 3.4% and 2.6% respectively). Although both types of changes in migration when considered together were statistically more frequent in the group of infertile women it was not possible to distinguish, on the basis of this test, between fertile and supposedly infertile individual women. It is suggested, however, that an inhibitory effect induced by spermatozoa on the men's own leucocytes may be of diagnostic significance. In contrast to spermatozoa, seminal plasma caused inhibition of leucocyte migration in the majority of cases -- 88% of women and 71.9% of men from infertile couples and 77.8% of fertile women. Those patients whose semen lacked this inhibitory property are deserving of further study.

Influence of middle-molecular-weight solutes from dialysate on the migration rate of leukocytes.

To investigate further the biologic activity of solutes in the middle-molecular-weight range, we studied the influence of these compounds on the migration of unseparated white blood cells and separated granulocytes and lymphocytes. Middle molecules (MM) inhibit the migration of unseparated leukocytes, but this effect on lymphocytes was seldom observed. With scanning electron microscopy, unseparated leukocytes were shown to adhere to one another, forming cellular clumps. This phenomenon could not be seen when separated cells were used. These results give some insight into the mechanism of inhibition exerted by MM and into the changes, observed in earlier experiments, of cellular composition of skin exudate obtained from untreated patients with uremia.

The enzymatic activities and NBT reduction test of granulocytes in untreated and dialysed uraemic patients.

It was found that neutrophils in untreated uraemic patients as well as in subjects on regular dialysis treatment displayed higher activity of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and peroxidase. Spontaneous reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) by granulocytes was also higher in both groups in comparison to controls. Stimulation with latex particles gave similar results of NBT reduction in investigated patients and controls. Lymphocytes also showed an increase in acid phosphatase activity if compared to healthy persons. It seems possible that granulocytes which take part in unspecific defense mechanisms are more active in uraemic patients due perhaps to subclinical infections.

Some aspects of cellular immunity in untreated and maintenance hemodialysis patients.

The cellular pattern of skin exudate in untreated uremic patients differed from that in healthy persons. The skin exudate composition in patients on maintenance hemodialysis approached normal values. Such normalization was, however, static: after sensitization with dinitrochlorobenzene--contrary to the control--both treated and untreated patients exhibited no changes in the cellular pattern of exudate. The activity of acid phosphatase in the cells of exudate was highly positive in control, almost normal in dialyzed, but weak in untreated uremic patients. Our investigations confirmed that cellular immunity in untreated and in maintenance hemodialysis patients is suppressed.

Cytoenzymatic studies on the lymphocytes of peripheral blood and lymphatic nodes of rats in an experimental magnesium deficiency.

Wistar rats kept on a magnesium deficient diet show several changes in the lymphatic organs as well as some disorders in the function of the immunological system, which appear as an impairment of cellular immunity and also as hypogammaglobulinemia. In the present experiment the level of leuco- and lymphocytosis has been studied. Furthermore, the activity of some lysosomal enzymes in blood lymphocytes, as well as the ability to incorporate labelled leucine shown by lymph nodes lymphocytes of deficient rats have been investigated. The rise in leuco- and lymphocytosis is similar to that reported by other authors. A significant rise in the activity of beta-glucuronidase as well as a considerable drop in the percentage of enzyme-negative lymphocytes have been observed as early as the first week of experiment. Tissue cultures of the lymph nodes, lymphocytes of deficient rats showed significantly lower values of labelled leucine incorporation with respect to the controls; in contrast, after phytohemagglutinin M stimulation the increase of incorporation in the lymphocytes of deficient and control rats was similar. Our findings may be indicative of some disorders in the redistribution of T and B lymphocytes in the blood and tissues of deficient rats. The observed cytochemical changes may be due to the intensification of autophagic processes in the lymphocytes that manifest a diminished ability to synthetize proteins.

Influence of middle-sized molecule aggregates from dialysate of uremic patients on lymphocyte transformation in vitro.

It was found that middle-sized molecules obtained from dialysate of uremic patients caused suppression of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation. This was expressed by the lowering of labeled leucine incorporation and by the suppression of lymphocyte transformation as morphologically assessed. In view of the presented data middle-sized molecules seem to be biologically active substances.