Sexual function and reproduction can be impaired in men with rheumatic diseases: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Information about the possible effect of rheumatic diseases on male sexual function and reproduction (sexual health) is scarce and difficult to summarize. Factors known to impair sexual health, such as inflammation, medication use and hypogonadism can be present in a significant proportion of male patients with rheumatic diseases. OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to systematically review the literature for the influence of paternal rheumatic disease on sexual health, such as sexual function, reproductive hormones, male fertility, pregnancy and offspring outcomes. DATA SOURCES: English language articles identified through Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Web of Science, Google Scholar and the Clinical trial registries of Europe and the USA published until February 2019. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS: Literature was synthesized in narrative form and in summary tables. Outcomes were categorized as: sexual function, reproductive hormones, fertility and pregnancy and offspring outcomes. Results are presented per category and per disease. RESULTS: 9735 articles were identified with our search strategy. After removal of duplicates, excluding articles by screening titles and abstracts and assessing eligibility by reading 289 fulltext articles, 87 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria. All included studies enrolled patients diagnosed with a rheumatic disease and had results at least on one of the outcome categories. Sexual function was the most common category, followed by reproductive hormones, fertility and pregnancy and offspring outcomes. Sexual function is impaired in a high proportion of patients with rheumatic diseases. This was statistically significant in most of the studies where a control group was available. Clinically relevant abnormalities in reproductive hormones were mainly identified in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and a positive correlation with disease activity were reported. Semen quality in men with rheumatic diseases can be impaired in patients with SLE, SpA, sarcoidosis, BD and MWS. Sperm count and motility were the most common semen quality parameters affected. No negative effect of paternal RA and vasculitis on pregnancy outcomes were reported in 3 studies. No studies reporting the effect of paternal disease on offspring outcomes were identified. LIMITATIONS: Most of the studies included in this review suffer from an inconsistent methodological quality, definitions of outcomes varied in several studies, a wide variety of screening questionnaires and/or diagnostic tools were used and results might only apply to the specific populations that were studied. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review suggests that sexual health is impaired in men with rheumatic diseases. The degree and extent of sexual health impairment vary per disease. More research is needed to fully understand the link between rheumatic diseases and impaired male sexual health. Meanwhile, rheumatologists should be aware of this association and discuss it with their patients. IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS: Sexual health of men with rheumatic diseases can be impaired by the disease itself. Especially in men trying to conceive, information on sexual function, reproductive hormones and sperm quality are needed to identify these problems. Treatment resulting in lower disease activity can improve overall sexual health in man with rheumatic diseases and facilitate their journey to fatherhood. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018099845.

In vivo targeted molecular magnetic resonance imaging of free radicals in diabetic cardiomyopathy within mice.

Free radicals contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy. We present a method for in vivo observation of free radical events within murine diabetic cardiomyopathy. This study reports on in vivo imaging of protein/lipid radicals using molecular MRI (mMRI) and immuno-spin trapping (IST) in diabetic cardiac muscle. To detect free radicals in diabetic cardiomyopathy, streptozotocin (STZ)-exposed mice were given 5,5-dimethyl-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) and administered an anti-DMPO probe (biotin-anti-DMPO antibody-albumin-Gd-DTPA). For controls, non-diabetic mice were given DMPO (non-disease control), and administered an anti-DMPO probe; or diabetic mice were given DMPO but administered a non-specific IgG contrast agent instead of the anti-DMPO probe. DMPO administration started at 7 weeks following STZ treatment for 5 days, and the anti-DMPO probe was administered at 8 weeks for MRI detection. MRI was used to detect a significant increase (p < 0.001) in MRI signal intensity (SI) from anti-DMPO nitrone adducts in diabetic murine left-ventricular (LV) cardiac tissue, compared to controls. Regional increases in MR SI in the LV were found in the apical and upper-left areas (p < 0.01 for both), compared to controls. The biotin moiety of the anti-DMPO probe was targeted with fluorescently-labeled streptavidin to locate the anti-DMPO probe in excised cardiac tissues, which indicated elevated fluorescence only in cardiac muscle of mice administered the anti-DMPO probe. Oxidized lipids and proteins were also found to be significantly elevated (p < 0.05 for both) in diabetic cardiac muscle compared to controls. It can be concluded that diabetic mice have more heterogeneously distributed radicals in cardiac tissue than non-diabetic mice.

Magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles: role of the coexistence of different geometrical phases.

Following the experimental results of Respaud et al. [Phys. Rev. B 57, 2925 (1998)] we report self-consistent electronic structure calculations in order to analyze the magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles in which a coexistence of bcc and compact (fcc) phases are present within the particles. In all cases, the local spin moments S(i) are found to be saturated (approximately 1.7 microB) while, in contrast, the local orbital moments L(i) and the magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) are found to be very sensitive to the size and structure of the systems. Interestingly, we obtain considerably enhanced values for L(i) at the internal bcc/fcc interfaces which can be even larger than at surfaces sites and, in addition, we found that by varying the fraction of bcc and fcc phases within the particles, several reorientations of the magnetization can be induced, a result that could open new possibilities to tune the MAE of magnetic nanoparticles.

Magnetic properties of a pair of V4 interacting clusters in a Fe matrix.

The magnetic properties of a pair V4 atomic clusters embedded in bulk Fe are determined by using a realistic spd-band Hubbard-like model. The spin density distribution is calculated self-consistenly in the unrestricted Hartree-Fock approximation. The local magnetic moments mu(i) are obtained at various atoms i of the cluster and of the surrounding Fe matrix. We consider two different geometrical arrangements for V clusters, collinear (C) and non-collinear (NC). In all the cases studied the magnetic coupling in the interface cluster-matrix is antiferromagnetic, and the ferromagnetic order of the matrix is not broken by the presence of the V atoms, although the local magnetic moments of Fe atoms at the interface cluster-matrix, are reduced respect to Fe bulk magnetization (2.22 microB) about 8%-20%. We compare the results with those of just one V4 atomic cluster embedded in bulk Fe.

Surface reconstruction and decahedral structure of bimetallic nanoparticles.

We report on energetic surface reconstruction phenomena observed on bimetallic nanoparticle systems of AuPd and AuCu, similar to a resolidification effect observed during the cooling process in lead clusters. These binary alloy nanoparticles show the fivefold edges truncated, resulting in [100] facets on decahedral structures, an effect largely envisioned and reported theoretically, with no experimental evidence so far. We demonstrate experimentally as well as by computational simulations that this new eutectic structure is favored in such nanoalloy systems.