HPV infection in male partners of infertile couples seems to not affect seminal parameters

[P-057] HPV infection in male partners of infertile couples seems to not affect seminal parameters A.M. Brucculeri1, G. Ruvolo1, L. Giovannelli2, R. Schillaci3, E. Cittadini1, G. Scaravelli4, A. Perino3. 1Centro di Biologia della Riproduzione, Centro di Biologia della Riproduzione, Palermo, Italy; 2University of Palermo, Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute, Palermo, Italy; 3University of Palermo, Dipartimento Materno Infantile, Palermo, Italy; 4Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy Introduction: Human papilloma viruses (HPV) are agents of the most common sexually transmitted disease. This small DNA viruses induce epithelial cell prolifera…

Environmental factors as possible causes of DNA fragmentation in human sperms

Literature data demonstrated that some environmental factors could have a key role in the remarkable and continuous decline of sperm quality observed in the last fifty years. Specifically, in the Taranto area, data about the detrimental effects of environmental pollution are alarming because of the high level of poisons released in the atmosphere. Pollution coming from the plant causes health and fertility risks, mainly due to the exposure to the dioxin. Our study analyzed sperm samples from three patients groups: i) workers of local steel factories; ii) Taranto residents; iii) Controls. Results demonstrate that patients from the “factory workers” group, constantly exposed to environmental …

Pollution exposure and high DNA fragmentation index in human sperms: a case-control study

Study question: Could pollution exposure play a key role on sperm quality, in terms of DNA fragmentation index (DFI)? Summary answer: Patients exposed to high level of pollution show an higher percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation index in contrast with patient from control group. What is known already: Taranto area is characterized by a number of steel factories and petrochemical industries. Data about the detrimental effects of environmental pollution are alarming. Pollution coming from the industrial plants causes health and fertility risks, mainly due to the exposure to several pollutant (PM10, heavy metals, etc). Toxic substances can affect DNA directly or indirectly, through oxidative…

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DNA FRAGMENTATION INDEX AND pAKT IN CUMULUS CELLS: NEW MARKERS OF OOCYTE COMPETENCE

The specific LH and FSH polymorphisms could influence the growth of follicles and oocytes.Some studies have shown that certain single nucleotide polymorphisms of FSHR are associated with changes in the ovarian activity, having functional implications in human reproduction. Carriers of polymorphic variant of betaLH show sub-optimal ovarian response to the standard long GnRH-agonist down-regulation protocol, when stimulated with recombinant FSH. No studies have been designed relating the polymorphic variants of FSHR and LHB with the oocyte competence. In previous studies, we demonstrated the correlation between the apoptosis rate and the expression level of some survival pathways molecules, a…

Apoptosis rate in human germinal cells: quality assay.

Apoptosis is a process that eliminates superfluous or genetically compromised cells. Cell death is one of the most important aspects of organization of the developing, as alteration in timing, level, or pattern of cell death can lead to developmental anomalies. In our studies, we investigated apoptosis in follicular somatic and germ cells of patients with infertility problems. We found that cell death occur in human germinal vesicle, in some mature oocytes and in the oocytes that failed fertilization after ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), this failure was strictly correlated with apoptosis. Still, after the Italian law number 40 of 2004, it was not available oocytes to research, and…

Effects of work exposure to electromagnetic waves and organic compounds on sperm DNA fragmentation in patients undergoing ICSI

Human Papilloma virus association with outcome of in vitro fertilization : a prospective study.

Sperm DNA integrity after conventional freezing vs vitrification with and without cryoprotectors

Reproductive outcomes in couples affected by human papillomavirus infection undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures

Reproductive outcomes in couples affected by human papillomavirus infection undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures G. Ruvolo1, L. Giovannelli2, R. Schillaci3, P. Alimondi3, A. Pane1, A. Perino3, E. Cittadini1 1Centro di Biologia della Riproduzione, Centro di Biologia della Riproduzione, Palermo, Italy 2Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute, Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute, Palermo, Italy 3Dipartimento Materno Infantile University of Palermo, Dipartimento Materno Infantile University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy Introduction: Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection worldwide, and has been…

The presence of genital HPV does not affect the in vitro fertilization outcome: preliminary data of a prospective study

Mural granulosa cells of the human follicles indirectly show death molecular signals not depending on different ovarian stimulation protocols

AN INNOVATIVE STRATEGY IN SELECTING OOCYTES WITH HIGH IMPLANTATION POTENTIALITY FOR INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION PROCEDURE

The aim of the research was to investigate the apoptosis rate of individual cumulus cell-oocyte complexes (COC), associated to the level of pAKT, to verify the difference between oocytes who produce embryos able to reach the blastocyst stage compared with embryos arrested during the in vitro culture. It was demonstrated that DNA fragmentation in cumulus cells was remarkably lower in patients who achieved a pregnancy after ICSI cycles, related to the quality of oocytes and embryos1,2. AKT pathway plays a critical role in the regulation of cell survival, and most growth factors activate this pathway3. The study focused on 53 patients, involved after informed consent. In this prospective and r…

APOPTOTIC ANALYSIS OF CUMULUS CELLS FOR THE SELECTION OF COMPETENT OOCYTES TO BE FERTILIZED BY INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION (ICSI)

Oocyte quality is one of the main factors for the success of in vitro fertilization protocols. Apoptosis is known to affect oocyte quality and may impair subsequent embryonic development and implantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the apoptosis rate of single and pooled cumulus cells of cumulus cell–oocyte complexes (COCs), as markers of oocyte quality, prior to intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI).We investigated the apoptosis rate by TUNEL assay (DNA fragmentation) and caspase-3 immunoassay of single and pooled cumulus cells of COCs. The results showed that DNA fragmentation in cumulus cells was remarkably lower in patients who achieved a pregnancy than in those who di…

Esiste una correlazione tra apoptosi e morfologia negli spermatozoi umani di pazienti infertili?

HUMAN SPERM CELL AS EARLY BIOINDICATOR OF MALE HEALTH AND REPRODUCTION

Environmental factors could have a key role in the remarkable and continuous decline of sperm quality observed in the last fifty years. This study addressed the gap of knowledge on the effect of air pollutants on sperm DNA fragmentation, comparing the seminal parameters from men living in locations with different levels of air pollution. The detrimental effects of environmental pollution in the Taranto area are alarming: the high level of pollutants released from the steel plants in the atmosphere can cause health and fertility issues. Our study analyzed sperm samples from three groups of patients: i) workers of Taranto steel plants; ii) Taranto residents; iii) Palermo residents, assumed as…

Role of HPV Infection in the outcome of in-vitro fertilization

Apoptosi associata alla morfologia negli spermatozoi umani di pazienti infertili

Evaluation of DNA damage in human spermatozoa: a sperm quality assay.

Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between gonadotrophine serum levels and the apoptosis rate in germinal cells. In human, lower FSH serum levels are associated with reduced Sperm Standard Parameters in term of concentration, motility and morphology and higher sperm DNA fragmentation. Hypogonadotrope hypogonadism is a clinical condition associated with male infertility, characterized by low serum levels of gonadotrophins. In this pilot study we investigated the spermatozoa quality of 11 patients with development of hypogonadotrope hypogonadism urdergoing in vitro fertilization programs. Recombinant-FSH administered to improve the sperm parameters, apoptosis rate, aiming to i…

Protezione midollare nella chirurgia dell'aorta

Strategies in experimental models for evaluating apoptosis.

Apoptosis rate in human spermatozoa: a sperm quality assay.

Several studies have demonstrated the relationship between gonadotrophine serum levels and the apoptosis rate in germinal cells (Bosco et al 2005). In human, lower FSH serum levels are associated with reduced Sperm Standard Parameters in term of concentration, motility and morphology and higher sperm DNA fragmentation. Hypogonadotrope hypogonadism is a clinical condition associated with male infertility, characterized by low serum levels of gonadotrophins. In this pilot study we investigated the spermatozoa quality of 11 patients with development of hypogonadotrope hypogonadism urdergoing in vitro fertilization programs. Recombinant-FSH administered to improve the sperm parameters, apoptosi…

Human papillomavirus infection in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization procedures: impact on reproductive outcome

New molecular markers for the evaluation of gamete quality.

Purpose: Only 30 % of IVF cycles result in a pregnancy, so that multiple embryos need to be replaced, per treatment cycle, to increase pregnancy rates, resulting in a multiple gestation rate of 25 %. The use of new markers in the gamete selection, could reduce the number of the oocytes to be fertilized and embryos to be produced, but the tools to evidence the gamete competence remain unavailable and more studies are needed to identify bio-markers to select the best oocyte and sperm to produce embryos with higher implantation potentiality. Methods: To define oocyte competence, the apoptosis of the surrounding cumulus cells and the oxygen consumption rates for individual oocytes before fertil…

In human cumulus cells, the apoptotic rate may be considered an indicator for the selection of embryos to improve ongoing pregnancy and implantation rates

In order to identify the embryos with higher implantation potential to increase the clinical outcomes after ICSI, the apoptotic rate in human cumulus cells for the embryo selection on day 3, as an adjunct to morphology evaluation, could be considered a new tool compared with embryo selection by morphology alone. Several studies have demonstrated a lower cumulus cell apoptotic rate in women who achieved pregnancy compared with women who did not become pregnant after ICSI. A prospective randomized observational study on 76 ICSI patients was performed before Ovum Pick-Up. Patients were randomized into either the control group (embryo selection by morphology only, A group: 48 patients) or the t…

Apoptosis rate in human spermatozoa is not related to nuclear vacuoles

Lavoro, organizzazione e cura

Il volume raccoglie contributi sul significato del lavoro nei contesti organizzativi e nei contesti di cura.

Psicologia al plurale