Purpose
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted disease, in males and females worldwide. While the role of HPV in female diseases is well known and largely ...studied, males have negligibly been included in these programs, also because the proportion of women suffering and dying from HPV-related diseases is much larger than men. The aim of this review is to focus on HPV-related diseases in male patients.
Methods
We performed a literature analysis on the electronic database PubMed. We considered randomized trials, observational and retrospective studies, original articles having as topic the relationship between HPV male infection and the following items: oral, anal penile cancers, warts, condylomas, male infertility, altered sperm parameters, anti-sperm antibodies (ASA). We also included experimental in vitro studies focused on the effects of HPV infection on oocyte fertilization, blastocyst development, and trophoblastic cell invasiveness. In addition, studies describing the adjuvant administration of the HPV vaccination as a possible strategy to promote HPV clearance from semen in infected males were included.
Results
Regarding head and neck HPV-related diseases, the most important non-neoplastic disease is recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP). Regarding neoplastic diseases, the proportion of head and neck cancers attributable to HPV has increased dramatically worldwide. In addition, nowadays, it is thought that half of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) cases in the United States are caused by infection with high-risk HPV. HPV is noteworthy in andrological practice too. It was described as having a high HPV prevalence, ranging between 50 and 70%, in male penile shaft, glans penis/coronal sulcus, semen as well as in scrotal, perianal, and anal regions. Moreover, in male patients, HPV infection has been associated, among other diseases, with penile cancers. HPV semen infection has been reported in about 10% in men from the general population and about 16% in men with unexplained infertility, although these data seem widely underestimated according to clinical experience. In particular, HPV semen infection seems to be most related to asthenozoospermia and to anti-sperm antibodies (ASAs).
Conclusions
HPV infection represents a health problem with a detrimental social and public impact. Despite this evidence, little has been done to date to widely promote vaccination among young males.
Abstract Kidney transplantation is considered to be the best treatment for people with chronic kidney failure, because it improves the patients' quality of life and increases their length of survival ...compared with patients undergoing dialysis. The kidney transplantation process in Brazil is defined through laws, decrees, ordinances, and resolutions, but there is no visual representation of this process. The aim of this study was to analyze official documents to construct a representation of the kidney transplantation process in Brazil with the use of business process modeling notation (BPMN). The methodology for this study was based on an exploratory observational study, document analysis, and construction of process diagrams with the use of BPMN. Two rounds of validations by specialists were conducted. The result includes the kidney transplantation process in Brazil representation with the use of BPMN. We analyzed 2 digital documents that resulted in 2 processes with 45 total of activities and events, 6 organizations involved, and 6 different stages of the process. The constructed representation makes it easier to understand the rules for the business of kidney transplantation and can be used by the health care professionals involved in the various activities within this process. Construction of a representation with language appropriate for the Brazilian lay public is underway.
Introduction
This study was aimed to evaluate monocyte counts on Sysmex XN‐9000, Sysmex CyFlow Space System, and Sysmex DI60 and compare the performance of these systems with the reference optical ...microscopy (OM) assessment.
Methods
In all, 55 peripheral blood samples, collected in K3EDTA tubes, were analyzed with XN‐9000, CyFlow System (FlowDiff1 and 2), DI60, and OM. Within‐run imprecision was carried out using normal samples. Data comparison was performed with Passing‐Bablok regression and Bland‐Altman plots.
Results
The within‐run imprecision of monocyte count on XN, FlowDiff, OM, and DI60 ranged between 1.9% for FlowDiff 2 and 22.1% for DI60. The Passing‐Bablok regression analysis of absolute count yielded slopes comprised between 0.93 (FlowDiff2 vs DI60) and 1.21 (DI60 vs OM), whereas the intercepts ranged between −0.002 (FlowDiff 1 vs FlowDiff 2) and 0.13 (FlowDiff1 and 2 vs DI60). Bland‐Altman plots in absolute values yielded absolute bias comprised between −0.01 × 109/L (FlowDiff 1 vs FlowDiff 2; DI60 vs OM) and 0.15 × 109 (XN‐module vs DI60).
Conclusion
The results of this analytical evaluation suggest that flow cytometry generates monocyte counts suitable for routine clinical use. OM or DI60 analysis may be useful for identifying morphologic abnormalities, but does not achieve a satisfactory level of accuracy for enumerating blood cells types such as monocytes, which are usually very low in peripheral blood.
The Iguaçu River, located at the Southern part of Brazil, has a great socioeconomic and environmental importance due to its high endemic fish fauna and its potential to generate hydroelectric power. ...However, Iguaçu River suffers intense discharge of pollutants in the origin of the river. In a previous report, the local environmental agency described water quality to improve along the river course. However, no study with integrated evaluation of chemical analysis and biological responses has been reported so far for the Iguaçu River. In the current study, three different Brazilian fish species (
Astyanax bifasciatus
,
Chrenicicla iguassuensis
, and
Geophagus brasiliensis
) were captured in the five cascading reservoirs of Iguaçu River for a multi-biomarker study. Chemical analysis in water, sediment, and muscle indicated high levels of bioavailable metals in all reservoirs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in the bile of the three fish species. Integration of the data through a FA/PCA analysis demonstrated the poorest environmental quality of the reservoir farthest from river’s source, which is the opposite of what has been reported by the environmental agency. The presence of hazardous chemicals in the five reservoirs of Iguaçu River, their bioaccumulation in the muscle of fish, and the biological responses showed the impacts of human activities to this area and did not confirm a gradient of pollution between the five reservoirs, from the source toward Iguaçu River’s mouth. Therefore, diffuse source of pollutants present along the river course are increasing the risk of exposure to biota and human populations.
Background: Food allergy to wheat and maize is an increasing factor of deterioration of life quality, especially childhood and can, in rare cases, even induce anaphylaxis. Although omega‐5 gliadin ...from wheat and maize lipid transfer protein have been characterized as major cereal allergens on the molecular level, the list of food allergens is far to be complete.
Methods: To identify the IgE‐binding repertoires of wheat and maize we screened respective cDNA libraries displayed on phage surface with sera from patients with a confirmed food allergy. The study included six patients with a positive double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) to wheat, nine patients with a positive DBPCFC to maize, and six patients with anaphylactic reactions after ingestion of wheat.
Results: The enriched sequences encoding IgE‐binding proteins showed heterogeneous repertoires for both, wheat and maize. The selected wheat repertoire yielded 12, the maize repertoire 11 open reading frames. Among these we identified allergens belonging to already characterized allergens families, such as gliadin, profilin and beta‐expansin. Besides, we found novel proteins with high cross‐reactive potential, such as thioredoxins, as well as sequences that had so far not been related to cereal allergy at all. The IgE‐binding capacity of some selected proteins was evaluated in vitro and cross‐reactivity was demonstrated by competition ELISA.
Conclusion: With regard to the heterogeneity of the characterized sequences as well as to the biochemical nature of the new allergens detected we conclude that wheat and maize‐related food allergy is more complex than so far anticipated.
Summary
Background
Maize allergy is not very common especially in Europe. The number of studies that address IgE mediated maize allergy is all too few.
Objective
Evaluate subjects with a history of ...maize allergy by double‐blind, placebo‐controlled food challenge; identify the spectrum of symptoms manifested during challenge; determine the lowest provocation dose (PD) during challenge; determine the performance characteristics of maize skin prick test and specific IgE.
Methods
Twenty‐seven patients with a history of maize allergy were enrolled to be evaluated by skin test, specific IgE and double‐blind placebo‐controlled maize challenge.
Results
Forty‐eight percent of the patients were challenge positive. PD range was 0.1–25 g. Fifty‐four percent of the maize allergic subjects had a PD that was 2.5 g; two subjects reacted to 100 mg of maize. Comparison of maize specific IgE levels and skin test results to the challenge results revealed the following (specific IgE level/skin testing): sensitivity 1.00/0.846, specificity 0.077/0.384, positive predictive value 0.520/0.579, and negative predictive value 1.00/0.714.
Conclusion
Maize is a cause of IgE‐mediated allergic reactions to foods in adults and children. Nearly half of the subjects recruited were confirmed by challenge to be allergic to maize. Twenty‐three percent of the positive challenge patients manifested symptoms that involved two organ systems, thus fulfilling the criteria for maize induced anaphylaxis. Maize is allergenic and can pose a risk for symptomatic food allergy at a dose of 100 mg.
Over the years, infertility has been variably defined. Infertility affects approximately 80 million people from all parts of the world. An important area of discussion has been represented by the ...possible causal link between psychopathology and infertility. In the past, the prevalence of psychiatric problems among infertile couples was estimated to be 25-60%. The incidence of depression and anxiety in infertile couples is significantly high than in fertile controls and in the general population respectively. Infertility has been linked to obsessive-compulsive symptoms, psychoticism, substance abuse and eating disorders. Psychological impact of infertility is greater in women than in men. Additionally, authors found that infertile patients were more alexithymic than healthy controls. In relation to the different needs, different psychological therapeutic interventions may be indicated. Psychological counseling can provide valuable assistance in dealing with infertility treatments and their eventual failures.
Controversial aspects of adverse reactions to food Ortolani C, C; Bruijnzeel‐koomen, C; Bengtsson, U ...
Allergy (Copenhagen),
January 1999, 1999, 1999-Jan, 1999-01-00, 19990101, Letnik:
54, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Patients are easily given to suspecting a diagnosis of food allergy/intolerance. Furthermore, some doctors believe that this condition may be the cause of many illnesses, even those that do not as a ...rule depend on allergy. There are schools of medical thought that hold that the diagnosis of food allergy/intolerance should be based both on the patient's evaluation and on a study of the existing relationship between exposure to a certain food and the onset of symptoms, rather than on laboratory tests, which are deemed to be unreliable for this purpose by these schools of thought. According to these schools of thought, the patient is the focus of diagnosis. However, they fail to provide a validated method to guarantee the validity and the reproducibility of the exposure/symptomatology relationship. On the other hand, many doctors base their diagnosis on tests and confirm the suspected case history in accordance with these or even formulate the diagnosis of the allergy/intolerance solely on the basis of test results. In reality, no test designed to establish allergy/intolerance carried out on a patient (in vivo) or in the laboratory (in vitro) will of itself allow one to formulate this diagnosis with certainty. The diagnostic accuracy of currently available tests is low, and for some tests there are no studies on diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. In recent years, many studies have been done on therapy and prevention of food allergy. However, these studies have not clarified the efficacy of the different preventive and therapeutic measures proposed; thus, theories in this area are much debated.
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