Incidence of antibodies in women after failure of assisted reproduction.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine to what degree antisperm allo-antibodies (ASA), anti-ovarian antibodies (AOA), anti-zona pellucida antibodies (AZPA) and seven anti-phospholipid antibodies (APLA) can explain the failure of assisted reproduction technology (ART) in women. BACKGROUND: Among the causes of reproductive failure are allo- and autoimmune reactions of the organism against reproductive tissues and cells. METHODS: We examined a sample of 43 selected women aged 27 to 45 after failure of assisted reproduction technology (ART) via intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Sera from these women were tested by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) (total Ig) for the presence of anti-sperm allo-antibodies (ASA), anti-ovarian antibodies (AOA), anti-zona pellucida antibodies (AZPA) and seven anti-phospholipid antibodies (APLA). RESULTS: We found 22 (51 %) patients positive for the examined antibodies. Among patients with positive results were 3 miscarriages, 3 biochemical pregnancies (↑ hCG) and 16 with no evidence of conception. Positive APLA was found in 17 patients. Selected immunological parameters were negative in 21 (49 %) patients, which means that the tested allo- and auto-antibodies did not cause the failure of ART. CONCLUSION: This demonstrates that the range of diagnostic tests limits the success of diagnosis and the method of dealing with infertile couples. The use of cardiolipin as a screening test appears to be insufficient, because in our sample it would have caused a 35 % error rate. Investigation of antibodies against seven phospholipids is thus considered to be reasonable and is beneficial for infertility diagnosis (Tab. 2, Ref. 36).

First Report of Powdery Mildew on Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Caused by Golovinomyces biocellatus in Hungary.

Lemon balm is a well-known perennial, medicinal and culinary herb, and also a melliferous plant that is grown commercially in many parts of the world including Hungary. In October 2009, symptoms of powdery mildew infection were observed on lemon balm plants grown in several gardens in Budapest, Maklár, and Eger, Hungary, as well as in Ghenci, Romania. Abundant mycelium and conidial sporulation was observed on both leaf surfaces and stems. Conidia were produced in chains and were ellipsoid-ovoid to subcylindrical, measured 29 to 44 × 15 to 18 µm, and germinated with germ tubes produced apically or subapically on conidia. The basal septa of the conidiophores were sometimes displaced from the point of branching. The width of their foot cells increased from base to top and sometimes enlarged considerably at a particular point. Hyphal appressoria were nipple shaped. On the basis of these characteristics, the pathogen was identified as an Oidium sp. belonging to the subgenus Reticuloidium. The teleomorph stage was not found. To precisely identify the pathogen, DNA was extracted from mycelia collected from single leaves collected in Budapest and Ghenci with a Qiagen (Valencia, CA) DNeasy Plant Kit. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of the nrDNA were amplified and sequenced as described in Jankovics et al. (3). The two ITS sequences, deposited in GenBank under Accession Nos. HM156493 and HM156494, were identical to several ITS sequences of Golovinomyces biocellatus, such as AB307675, AF011291, and EU035602. Thus, the pathogen was identified as G. biocellatus based on the host plant species, anamorph morphology, and ITS sequence. It was clearly distinguished from Neoerysiphe galeopsidis, another powdery mildew species known to infect lemon balm in Europe (1). Specimens were deposited under Accession Nos. HAL 2369F and HAL 2370F at the Herbarium of Martin Luther University, Halle, Germany. Pathogenicity tests were carried out in cabinets within a controlled environment as described for other powdery mildews in Jankovics et al. (3) using five potted healthy lemon balm plants bought from a nursery. The first powdery mildew colonies appeared 7 to 10 days after inoculation, and 2 to 3 weeks later, nearly all the leaves and stems of the three inoculated plants became covered with powdery mildew mycelium. Light microscopy confirmed that the pathogen was the anamorph of G. biocellatus. The two noninoculated plants remained healthy. This confirmed the pathogenicity of the fungus collected from the field to lemon balm. G. biocellatus has long been known to infect lemon balm in some European countries and elsewhere (1), but was not listed as a pathogen of this plant species in Hungary (4). However, it was reported from Romania, a neighboring country, more than 30 years ago (2). This suggests that G. biocellatus might have occurred in Hungary on lemon balm during the past decades without being reported in the literature. References: (1) U. Braun. Beih. Nova Hedwigia 89:1, 1987. (2) O. Constantinescu and G. Negrean. Sydowia 29:75, 1976-77. (3) T. Jankovics et al. Phytopathology 98:529, 2008. (4) Sz. Nagy and L. Kiss. Acta Phytopathol. Entomol. Hung. 41:79, 2006.