Identifying teeth and tooth fragments from digital 3D models.

Dental anatomy is an essential skill for human identification in forensic odontology. With the advent of technology enabling virtual autopsies, there is scope for virtual consultation by forensic odontologists especially when the expertise is unavailable but needed in zones of conflict or disasters. This study aimed to investigate potential benefits and challenges of identifying intact and damaged teeth from 3D scanned digital models. Ten 3D tooth models - nine permanent and deciduous human teeth and one animal tooth were uploaded on a hosting platform. A 3-part survey was circulated among 60 forensic odontologists with questions about demography (P1), tooth identification of the scanned 3D models (P2) and the perceived usefulness of 3D models for tooth identification (P3). This was the first time that a survey required the identification of individual human teeth (intact or not) and animal tooth combined. The response rate for study participation was 58%. Substantial agreement among participants was seen in the determination of tooth classification (i.e., molars, premolars) or non-human and tooth within the same tooth class (i.e., lateral incisors, second molar) (both k=0.61). The least agreement (k=0.21) was seen in identification of tooth according to the FDI notation with a mean accuracy of 0.34. While most responders correctly identified the animal tooth, most incorrect responses were seen in the identification of the intact third molar. While 3D-scanned teeth have the potential to be identified virtually, forensic odontologists should continuously test their skills in tooth morphology and dental anatomy of humans (damaged or not) and animals.

Dental damage: Creating 3D anatomical models to illustrate destructive effects on human teeth.

Forensic odontologists often must identify human remains with damaged teeth. This damage is due to high-impact accidents, violence, or disasters. This 2-part study aimed to create two 3D digital models. They should show the destructive effects of physical and chemical agents on human teeth and popular dental materials. Researchers created an e-survey to investigate how digital models are perceived as an educational tool for Forensic Odontology. Also, a systematic review assessed experimental studies on the effects of high temperature on various prosthodontic materials. According to the results of the survey, most participants (n=69; 79%) agreed that they would find a 3D model useful for training. Participants misidentify images of burned and broken teeth under Ellis and Davey system (1970). The systematic review identified dental implant and dental crown as the most studied prosthodontic materials exposed to heat. The researchers designed dental damage model 1 to represent restored and unrestored burnt teeth, postmortem pink teeth, and traumatic injuries. The dental damage model 2 was created to demonstrate the effects of various types of damage to different prosthetic and restorative dental materials, as well as the impact of acid, water, and burial on restorative materials as additional information. Both models were edited, sculpted and painted using 3D modelling software ZBrush (2020. 1.4) and Blender (version 3.6.2). The dental damage models were uploaded and labelled on Sketchfab (Cédric Pinson, Paris, France). The study's materials could transform the teaching of complex tooth changes.

Thyroid Hormone Abnormalities and Associated Risk Factors among Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Background Thyroid dysfunction and associated factors like age, sex, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, family history of coronary artery disease and dyslipidemia contributes the risk for acute coronary syndrome. Objective To find out the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and associated risk factors among acute coronary syndrome patients at this tertiary care hospital in eastern Nepal. Method A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out prospectively among acute coronary syndrome patients at a tertiary care Hospital. Diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome was made based on the medical history, Electrocardiogram abnormalities, and cardiac markers. Thyroid function test and estimation of other blood parameters were done in the blood of the patients. Other relevant information and medical history of the patients were collected by using proforma. Result Out of 186 total acute coronary syndrome patients, 127 (68.28%) were male and mean age of all patients was 60.0 ± 13.7 years. Thyroid dysfunction was observed in 52 (27.95%) patients, out of that subclinical hypothyroidism was mostly seen in 30 (16.12%) patients followed by hypothyroidism in 13 (6.98%). The number of patients with hyperthyroidism and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 6 (3.23%) and 3 (1.62%) respectively. Associated factors like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, family history of coronary artery disease and dyslipidemia was observed in 80 (43.01%), 42 (22.58%), 83 (44.62%), 11 (5.91%) and 79 (42.47%) patients. Conclusion Acute coronary syndrome was predominantly seen in male and subclinical hypothyroidism was a major thyroid dysfunction observed among the patients. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking was found to be associated in a proportion of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Effect of milking environment enrichment through music on production performance and behaviour in cattle.

Enrichment of milking environment through music has been proposed to help animals to cope with divergent stressors. In sight of the above, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Indian instrumental music-based environmental enrichment played in yaman raga on milk production performance and behaviour in cattle. A total of 21 lactating dairy cattle (Vrindavani crossbred cows) having similar parity and stage of lactation were selected in three groups - T1, T2 and T3, each consisting of seven animals. The T1 and T2 groups were exposed to instrumental flute and sitar, respectively, 10 min prior to the start of milking and continued till completion of milking; while the T3 group served as control. Musical enrichment of the environment was done using recorded-tape of flute and sitar was played in yamen raga at 40-60 (dB) decibel intensity. The results revealed a non-significant difference in milk yield, rectal temperature, respiration rate, T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) hormones. However, there exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) difference in milking time, milking speed, cortisol hormones and behavioural parameters such as milk let-down in the animals exposed to music compared to the control group. Thus, the results have significant implications relating to the behavioural fitness and welfare of dairy animals and reducing residual milk.

GIANT ADRENAL GANGLIONEUROMA AND MYELOLIPOMA: A RARE CASE OF COLLISION TUMOR.

Background: An adrenal collision tumor is a rare entity. We present a rare combination of giant adrenal ganglioneuroma (GN) and myelolipoma. GN is a rare benign tumor of the adrenal medulla that originates from primitive neural crest cells, while myelolipoma is a benign tumor of the adrenal cortex comprising of mature adipose tissue and blood components. Case Report: We present a case of a 52-year-old male who presented with generalized body swelling with episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. There was no history of abdominal pain or any significant history. Routine laboratory investigations and endocrine workup were within normal limits. MRI was performed for unexplained symptoms, and which revealed a solid homogeneous mass measuring 9x7x4.5cm arising from the adrenal gland. A diagnosis of myxoid adrenocortical neoplasm was suggested, and laparoscopic left adrenalectomy was performed based on imaging findings. The final diagnosis of coexisting giant adrenal GN with myelolipoma was made on histopathological examination, which was further confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Conclusion: Ganglioneuroma coexistence with myelolipoma is a rare finding in the adrenal gland. Therefore, histopathology is imperative in such cases for a definitive diagnosis.

Comparison of the third molar maturity index (I3M) between left and right lower third molars to assess the age of majority: a multi-ethnic study sample.

The diagnostic accuracy of the I3M to assess the legal age of 18 years has already been tested in several specific-population samples. The left lower third molar has been extensively used for discriminating between minors and adults. This research aimed to compare the usefulness of lower third molar maturity indexes, from both left and right side (I3ML and I3MR), in samples originating from four distinct continents in order to examine possible differences in their accuracy values. For this purpose, a sample of 10,181 orthopantomograms (OPGs), from Europe, Africa, Asia and America, was analysed and previously scored in other studies. The samples included healthy subjects with no systemic disorders with both third molars and clear depicted root apices. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test for left and right asymmetry did not show any significant differences. Data about sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratio and accuracy were pooled together and showed similar results for I3ML and I3MR, respectively. In addition, all these quantities were high when only the I3MR was considered to discriminate between adults and minors. The present referable database was the first to pool third molar measurements using panoramic radiographs of subjects coming from different continents. The results highlighted that both I3ML and I3MR are reliable indicators for assessing the legal age of 18 years old in those jurisdictions where this legal threshold has been set as the age of majority.

DISC1 causes associative memory and neurodevelopmental defects in fruit flies.

Originally found in a Scottish family with diverse mental disorders, the DISC1 protein has been characterized as an intracellular scaffold protein that associates with diverse binding partners in neural development. To explore its functions in a genetically tractable system, we expressed the human DISC1 in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster). As in mammalian neurons, DISC1 is localized to diverse subcellular domains of developing fly neurons including the nuclei, axons and dendrites. Overexpression of DISC1 impairs associative memory. Experiments with deletion/mutation constructs have revealed the importance of amino-terminal domain (46-290) for memory suppression whereas carboxyl domain (598-854) and the amino-terminal residues (1-45) including the nuclear localization signal (NLS1) are dispensable. DISC1 overexpression also causes suppression of axonal and dendritic branching of mushroom body neurons, which mediate a variety of cognitive functions in the fly brain. Analyses with deletion/mutation constructs reveal that protein domains 598-854 and 349-402 are both required for the suppression of axonal branching, while amino-terminal domains including NLS1 are dispensable. In contrast, NLS1 was required for the suppression of dendritic branching, suggesting a mechanism involving gene expression. Moreover, domain 403-596 is also required for the suppression of dendritic branching. We also show that overexpression of DISC1 suppresses glutamatergic synaptogenesis in developing neuromuscular junctions. Deletion/mutation experiments have revealed the importance of protein domains 403-596 and 349-402 for synaptic suppression, while amino-terminal domains including NLS1 are dispensable. Finally, we show that DISC1 functionally interacts with the fly homolog of Dysbindin (DTNBP1) via direct protein-protein interaction in developing synapses.

Free radicals hasten head and neck cancer risk: A study of total oxidant, total antioxidant, DNA damage, and histological grade.

BACKGROUND: Free radicals such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress, are the main contributors to head and neck carcinogenesis (HNC). The present study was conducted with the aim to assess the oxidant/antioxidant status and DNA damage analysis in head and neck cancer/control patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted on 60 patients with biopsy-proven HNC and 17 patients of head and neck disease (HND). The total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined by novel automatic colorimetric methods from tissue homogenate. DNA damage analysis was determined by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). RESULTS: The mean age of the study cohort was 46.65 ± 14.84 years for HNC patients, while it was 49.41 ± 13.00 years for HND patients. There were no significant differences found between the two groups with respect to demographic presentation except tobacco addiction. The association between oxidative stress parameters and DNA damage analysis with study group revealed the following. (A) DNA damage - tissue homogenate TOS and OSI were significantly higher in HNC subjects than in HND (16.06 ± 1.78 AU vs 7.86 ± 5.97 AU, P < 0.001; 53.00 ± 40.61 vs 19.67 ± 21.90, P < 0.01; 7.221 ± 5.80 vs 2.40 ± 2.54, P < 0.01, respectively), while TAS was significantly decreased. (B) Aggressive histological features were identified, more commonly with higher TOS and lower TAS [probability (P) = 0.002, relative risk (RR) = 11.838, 95% confidence interval CI = 2.514-55.730 and P = 0.043, RR = 0.271, 95% CI = 0.077-0.960, respectively]. CONCLUSION: The increase in free radicals may be the event that led to the reduction of antioxidant status in HNC, thus explaining the oxidative damage of DNA and the severity of disease. Increased OSI represents a general mechanism in its pathogenesis.

Study Protocol of the Bladder Adjuvant RadioTherapy (BART) Trial: A Randomised Phase III Trial of Adjuvant Radiotherapy Following Cystectomy in Bladder Cancer.

AIMS: To assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with high-risk muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) following radical cystectomy (RC) and chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The BART (Bladder Adjuvant RadioTherapy) trial is an ongoing multicentric, randomised, phase III trial comparing the efficacy and safety of adjuvant radiotherapy versus observation in patients with high-risk MIBC. The key eligibility criteria include ≥pT3, node-positive (pN+), positive margins and/or nodal yield <10, or, neoadjuvant chemotherapy for cT3/T4/N+ disease. In total, 153 patients will be accrued and randomised, in a 1:1 ratio, to either observation (standard arm) or adjuvant radiotherapy (test arm) following surgery and chemotherapy. Stratification parameters include nodal status (N+ versus N0) and chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus adjuvant chemotherapy versus no chemotherapy). For patients in the test arm, adjuvant radiotherapy to cystectomy bed and pelvic nodes is planned with intensity-modulated radiotherapy to a dose of 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions using daily image guidance. All patients will follow-up with 3-monthly clinical review and urine cytology for 2 years and subsequently 6 monthly until 5 years, with contrast-enhanced computed tomography abdomen pelvis 6 monthly for 2 years and annually until 5 years. Physician-scored toxicity using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 and patient-reported quality of life using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Colorectal questionnaire is recorded pre-treatment and at follow-up. ENDPOINTS AND STATISTICS: The primary endpoint is 2-year locoregional recurrence-free survival. The sample size calculation was based on the estimated improvement in 2-year locoregional recurrence-free survival from 70% in the standard arm to 85% in the test arm (hazard ratio 0.45) using 80% statistical power and a two-sided alpha error of 0.05. Secondary endpoints include disease-free survival, overall survival, acute and late toxicity, patterns of failure and quality of life. CONCLUSION: The BART trial aims to evaluate whether contemporary radiotherapy after standard-of-care surgery and chemotherapy reduces pelvic recurrences safely and also potentially affects survival in high-risk MIBC.

Use of polypropylene mesh in contaminated and dirty strangulated hernias: short-term results.

PURPOSE: Synthetic non-absorbable meshes are routinely used in hernia surgery for clean cases but are avoided in the case of clean-contaminated or contaminated hernia or dirty cases to minimize the risk of infection. The present study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of polypropylene mesh in the settings of bowel resection performed for strangulated hernias of the abdominal wall. METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Surgery of a teaching hospital in central India between 1st March 2015 and 31st Aug 2017. Adult patients > 18 years age, with abdominal wall hernias, presenting with strangulation, and requiring resection and anastomosis for gangrenous bowel were included in the study. Outcomes noted were wound infection, morbidity and mortality, need for the removal of the mesh, and recurrence of the hernia. RESULTS: 30 (22 men and 8 women) patients with strangulated hernias underwent emergency surgery with resection of gangrenous bowel and anastomosis. The 30 cases included 21 inguinal, seven incisional, one femoral and one umbilical hernia. 12 of the 30 cases having gross contamination of the operative wound due to perforated gangrenous bowel were classified as 'dirty'; while the remaining 18 cases with non-perforated gangrenous herniating bowel were classified as 'contaminated'. Wound infection occurred in 8/30 patients (26.67%); but these healed with antibiotics and dressing. Mesh removal was not required in any patient during entire study period. Two recurrences (6.7%; one inguinal and one incisional hernia) were observed. There was no mortality. CONCLUSION: The use of polypropylene mesh for contaminated and dirty strangulated hernias is effective and safe, with acceptable morbidity and good short-term results.

A clinical study on cortisol and certain metabolites in some chronic psychosomatic disorders.

Present clinical study involved two groups of psychosomatic disorders, bronchial asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. In the study, the levels of plasma cortisol, blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides were estimated in 125 clinical subjects, (50 normal controls, and 40 having bronchial asthma and 35 suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The results showed a significant change in the levels of plasma cortisol and blood glucose in both the stressed clinical groups' vis-à-vis normal controls. The levels of atherogenic lipids (total cholesterol and triglycerides) were found quite elevated in both the diseased groups. However, in rheumatoid arthritis, the physiological changes were relatively more pronounced. The findings of this study indicate that rheumatoid arthritis is a relatively more chronic and late onset disorder as the functional performance of hypothalamopituitary-adrenocortical axis gradually declines with passage of time and the ability of the adrenocortical response to return to normalcy becomes impaired.

Visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar): challenges ahead.

Indian visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a parasitic disease caused by a haemoflagellete Leishmania donovani and transmitted by the bite of sand fly Phlebotomus argentipes. It affects various age groups. In India about 1,00,000 cases of VL are estimated to occur annually; of these, the State of Bihar accounts for over than 90 per cent of the cases. Diagnosis of VL typically relies on microscopic examination of tissue smears but serology and molecular methods are better alternatives currently. Notwithstanding the growing incidence of resistance, pentavalent antimony complex has been the mainstay for the treatment of VL during the last several decades. The second line drugs such as amphotericin B, lipid formulations of amphotericin B, paromomycin and recently developed miltefosine are the other alternatives. In spite of significant development in various areas of Leishmania research, there is a pressing need for the technological advancement in the understanding of immune response, drug resistance and the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis that could be translated into field applicable and affordable methods for diagnosis, treatment, and control of the disease.

Role of butorphanol and ondansetron premedication in reducing postoperative shivering after general and spinal anesthesia: A randomized comparative study from North India.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative shivering (PAS) is a common problem following general and spinal anesthesia and may lead to multiple complications. This placebo-controlled, randomized study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of Ondansetron and butorphanol premedication reduces shivering after general and spinal anaesthesia. AIMS: The aim of this study to highlight the efficacy of Butorphenol and ondosteron in controlling postoperative shivering. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial included 180 patients scheduled for elective general surgery, E.N.T., Ophthamological operations, randomly divided to six groups. Three groups in which General Anaesthesia was used i.e. Group 1-ondansetron 8 mg intravenously(IV).Group 2 butorphanol 2 mg IV and Group 3 - saline 4 ml IV. And three groups where spinal Anaesthesia was used i.e. Group 4-Ondosteron 8 mg IV, Group 5 butorphanol 2 mg IV and Group 6 - saline 4 ml IV 3-5 minutes before anaesthesia. Patients were observed in terms of vital signs, side effects and shivering. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The type of the study was double blind randomized trial. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 13.0 statistical analysis software. RESULTS: Postoperative shivering was observed in 15.5%, 22.2% and 60% in general anaesthesia groups I II and III respectively. The reduction of core and dermal temperature during the anaesthesia and recovery, changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were similar in all three groups (i.e. Group I,II,III). In spinal anaesthesia groups, PAS occurred 10%, 13.3% and 43.3% in group IV, V, VI respectively. The reduction of core temperature is similar in all three groups of spinal anaesthesia. But heart rate and mean arterial pressure increase were significant in control saline group in post operative recovery time. No complication seen in any of the six groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that use of Butorphanol and Ondansteron both are effective in reducing the incidence of PAS after general and spinal anaesthesia.

4'-Hydroxy-3-methoxyflavones with potent antipicornavirus activity.

4'-Hydroxy-3-methoxyflavones are natural compounds with known antiviral activities against picornaviruses such as poliomyelitis and rhinoviruses. In order to establish a structure-activity relationship a series of analogues were synthesized, and their antiviral activities and cytotoxicities were compared with those of flavones from natural origin. The 4'-hydroxyl and 3-methoxyl groups, a substitution in the 5 position and a polysubstituted A ring appeared to be essential requirements for a high activity. The most interesting compound was 4',7-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-5,6-dimethylflavone possessing in vitro TI99 values of greater than 1000 and greater than 200 against poliovirus type 1 and rhinovirus type 15, respectively. This compound was also active against other rhinovirus serotypes (2, 9, 14, 29, 39, 41, 59, 63, 70, 85, and 89) tested, having MIC50 values ranging from 0.016 to 0.5 micrograms/mL. Finally in contrast to quercetin it showed to be not mutagenic in concentrations up to 2.5 mg in the Ames test.

CSF levels of prostaglandins, especially the level of prostaglandin D2, are correlated with increasing propensity towards sleep in rats.

The concentration of PGD2, PGE2, and of PGF2 alpha was measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from the cisterna magna of conscious rats (n = 29), which, chronically implanted with a catheter for the CSF sampling, underwent deprivation of daytime sleep. Significant elevation of the CSF level of PGD2 was observed following 2.5-h sleep deprivation (SD), and the elevation became more marked following 5- and 10-h SD, apparently reaching the maximum at 5-h SD (703 +/- 140 pg/ml (mean +/- S.E.M.) for baseline vs. 1734 +/- 363 pg/ml for SD, n = 10). The levels of PGE2, and PGF2 alpha also significantly increased following 5- and 10-h SD, but not following 2.5-h SD. It is unlikely that these changes were simply caused by some responses of the animals to stress stimuli, because stress stimuli derived from restraint of the animal at the supine position to a board for 1 h did not produce any acute responses in the CSF levels of prostaglandins (n = 13). In a different group of animals (n = 11) implanted with electrodes for recording electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram (EMG) in addition to the catheter, the levels of the prostaglandins in CSF were determined for slow-wave sleep (SWS) and wakefulness in the day and for SWS and wakefulness in the night. The highest PGD2 value was obtained at daytime SWS, whereas the lowest was at night wakefulness; furthermore, a significant difference was observed between SWS and wakefulness rather than between day and night. The CSF level of PGE2 also showed a similar tendency. In an additional group of animals (n = 6), not only PGD2 but also PGE2 and PGF2 alpha significantly increased the sleeping time of the animal when applied into the subarachnoid space underlying the ventral surface area of the rostral basal forebrain, the previously defined site of action for the sleep-promoting effect of PGD2. The promotion of sleep by PGE2 applied to the subarachnoid space was an effect completely opposite to the well-established awaking effect of the same prostaglandin demonstrated in the hypothalamic region in a series of previous studies. Based on these results, we conclude that increases in CSF levels of prostaglandins, especially that of PGD2, are correlated in rats with heightened propensity towards sleep and further with the depth of sleep under normal as well as SD conditions.

Influence of different combinations of antibodies and penicillinase-labeled testosterone derivatives on sensitivity and specificity of immunoassays.

Three antisera raised against bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugates of testosterone-3-(O-carboxy-methyl)-oxime (T-3-CMO), 11 beta-hydroxytestosterone-11-carboxymethyl ether (T-11 beta-O-CME) and 19-hydroxytestosterone-19-carboxymethyl-ether (T-19-O-CME) were evaluated in enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) in combinations with penicillinase-labeled T-3-CMO, T-11 beta-O-CME, T-19-O-CME, and testosterone-17 beta-hemisuccinate (T-17 beta-HS) for their influence on the sensitivity and specificity of EIAs. Of the various combinations, anti-T-3-CMO antiserum along with T-11 beta-O-CME-penicillinase showed no cross-reaction with any of the closely related steroids, although the same antibody had 21.6% binding to 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT) in radioimmunoassay. All the homologous combinations appeared to be less sensitive due to their low affinity for testosterone. It was also apparent that of all the heterologous systems tested, only two combinations, (a) anti-T-19-O-CME antiserum and T-3-CMO-penicillinase and (b) anti-T-3-CMO antiserum and T-11 beta-O-CME-penicillinase, were found to be more sensitive. The former was less specific; it showed 70% cross-reaction with 5 alpha-DHT. The ability of testosterone to displace the hapten-enzyme conjugate and the specificity of the assay appear to depend on the position of the enzyme label on the steroid molecule as well as on the availability of antigenic sites in particular combinations of antibody and hapten-enzyme conjugates.

Application of seminal germ cell morphology and semen biochemistry in the diagnosis and management of azoospermic subjects.

AIM: To evaluate whether the study of seminal germ cell morphology (SGCM) and semen biochemistry could be fruitfully utilized for the diagnosis and management of azoospermic subjects. METHODS: In the semen, mature and immature germ cells are contributed by the testes, 70% of glycerylphosphoryl choline (GPC) by the epididymis, fructose mostly or solely by the seminal vesicles and acid phosphatase [corrected] (ACP) by the prostate. In 16 normal volunteers, 12 vasectomized subjects and 186 azoospermic subjects, these parameters have been studied and the data have been analyzed. RESULTS: Both mature and immature germ cells are absent in the semen of vasectomized subjects as well as in obstructive azoospermia; GPC level is also significantly decreased in both these groups. In cases with non-obstructive azoospermia immature germ cells are present and seminal GPC, ACP and fructose levels are normal. The diagnosis of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia based on these parameters correlated well with "correct" testicular biopsy findings. In some cases of azoospermia due to hypospermatogenesis or spermatogenic developmental arrest, the SGCM studies were very helpful in objectively monitoring the response of the germinal tissue to specific treatments. CONCLUSION: SGCM and semen biochemical parameters are very valuable non-invasive markers for differentiating obstructive from non-obstructive azoospermia. The SGCM findings serve as a dependable non-invasive testicular marker with high predictive value.

Correlation of serotonin and monoamine oxidase levels with anxiety level in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is generally considered to have a psychogenic component in its physiopathology. AIM: To study the role of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), monoamine oxidase (MAO) and anxiety, and to elucidate the relationship between these in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS. METHODS: 5-HT and MAO activity and anxiety levels were studied in 20 healthy volunteers (aged 18-25 years; all men) and 57 patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS (30-60 years; all men). RESULTS: The concentrations of 5-HT (0.3 [0.04] microg/ mL) and MAO (15.5 [3.2] U/mL), and the anxiety level score (14.4 [2.9]) were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in patients than in healthy volunteers (0.1 [0.02], 6.4 [1.4] and 3.4 [1.2], respectively). These parameters correlated with each other in both patients and volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated 5-HT and MAO activity and anxiety may play a role in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS.