Urine cysteinyl leukotriene levels in children with sleep disordered breathing before and after adenotonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVES: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common problem in children and is associated with increased cardiovascular, neurobehavioral and somatic growth consequences. Cysteinyl leukotrienes (CysLTs) play a major role with local and systemic relations to the pathophysiology of OSA. The level of CysLTs in urine, blood, exhaled breath and adenotonsillar tissue of OSA children are increased. However it remains unclear whether inflammatory marker levels are alleviated after adenotonsillectomy. Therefore, we compare the urine leukotriene E4 (uLTE4) levels in children before and after adenotonsillectomy and evaluate clinical outcomes on resolution of OSA. METHODS: Children under 15 years who suspected OSA with planned adenotonsillectomy were recruited. Sleep questionnaires, quality of life assessment by OSA-18, physical examination, lateral neck radiographs, overnight SpO2 monitoring and uLTE4 levels were collected. 4 ± 2 weeks post-surgery, OSA-18 was reevaluated and urine was collected again. RESULTS: Thirty-three children with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) were included (mean age 8.1 ± 2.8 years). After adenotonsillectomy, the uLTE4 levels decreased from 961.9 (684.8-1438.2) to 708.6 (538.2-1038.8) pg/mg Cr (P = 0.009). The post-surgery score from sleep questionnaire, OSA-18 questionnaire were significant improved (P < 0.001). Obese children demonstrated an improved quality of life post-surgery, but results were poorer than normal-weight children (P = 0.01). The uLTE4 no obvious improved in obese children. CONCLUSIONS: Adenotonsillectomy remains an effective treatment for SDB children that not only alleviated the severity of SDB and improved quality of life; it also decreased levels of the systemic inflammatory marker, uLTE4. However, benefits were more obvious in non-obese children.

Immunosuppressive properties of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord.

BACKGROUND: The role of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSC) in preventing the incidence and ameliorating the severity of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) has recently been reported. However, as the collection of BM-MSC is an invasive procedure, more accessible sources of MSC are desirable. AIM: This study aimed to explore the alternative sources of MSC from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord, which are usually discarded. METHODS: MSC from those tissues were isolated using mechanical dissociation and enzymatic digestion. Their capacity for proliferation and differentiation, and ability to suppress alloreactive T-lymphocytes were studied and compared with those of BM-MSC. RESULTS: MSC derived from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord were similar to BM-MSC regarding the cell morphology, the immunophenotype as well as the differentiation ability. These MSC also elicited a similar degree of immunosuppression, as evidenced by the inhibition of alloreactive T-lymphocytes in the mixed lymphocyte reaction, compared with that of BM-MSC. MSC from umbilical cord and Wharton's jelly had a higher proliferative capacity, whereas those from amnion and placenta had a lower proliferative capacity compared with BM-MSC. CONCLUSION: The results obtained from this study suggest that MSC from amnion, placenta, Wharton's jelly and umbilical cord can therefore be potentially used for substituting BM-MSC in several therapeutic applications, including the treatment of GvHD.

Relationship between chromatin condensation, DNA integrity and quality of ejaculated spermatozoa from infertile men.

Normal chromatin condensation is important for sperm fertilising ability. However, routine semen analysis does not identify defects in sperm chromatin structure. This study aimed to investigate the condensation of chromatin and DNA integrity in spermatozoa of infertile men and deduce the relationship with sperm quality, as measured by conventional semen parameters. Semen analysis was carried out to assess sperm quality according to World Health Organization criteria. The remaining aliquot of each sample was processed for transmission electron microscopy, chromomycin A3 (CMA3) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) assays. The ultrastructural analysis of spermatozoa from infertile men showed heterogeneity in sperm nuclear morphology. Some spermatozoa displayed a round nucleus with incomplete chromatin condensation. Immunoreactivity with antitransitional protein and antiprotamine antibodies indicated nuclear maturation defects in the spermatozoa of infertile men. Spearman's correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between the percentages of CMA3- and TUNEL-positive spermatozoa. In addition, these two parameters were negatively correlated with sperm concentration, motility and normal morphology. This study demonstrated that men with morphologically normal spermatozoa of <30% have greater degree of protamine deficiency and DNA damage than men with morphologically normal spermatozoa of >30%. Evaluation of chromatin integrity appears to be a useful tool for assessing male fertility.