ABSTRACT
Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS] is one of the most common endocrine women's disorders in reproductive age. Hyperandrogenism has a critical role in the etiology of PCOS and it can cause fault in Steroidogenesis process. During steroidogenesis, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein [StAR] seems to increase the delivery of cholesterol through mitochondrial membrane. Therefore, polymorphisms of StAR might effect on this protein and play a role in the etiology of PCOS
Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between StAR SNPs with PCOS. Thus, seven polymorphisms in this gene: rs104894086, rs104894089, rs104894090, rs137852689, rs10489487, rs104894085 were detected
Materials and Methods: In this case control study, 45 PCOS women, 40 male factor/unexplained infertile women, and 40 fertile women as two control groups were participated from 2008-2012. Polymorphisms were detected using restriction fragment length polymorphism [PCR-RFLP] method
Results: Heterozygote genotyping for rs 137852689 SNP [amino acid 218 C > T] was only seen in seven PCOS patients, one in normal ovulatory women, and five in male factor/unexplained infertile women [15.5%, 2.5%, 12.5%, respectively] [p= 0.12]. While, it has shown no association between other SNPS with PCOs
Conclusion: The RFLP results for seven chosen SNPs, which located in exon 5 and 7 showed normal status in three groups, it means no heterozygous or homozygous forms of selected SNPs were observed. So, it seems evaluation of the active amino acid sites should be investigated and also the study population should be increased
ABSTRACT
Peritoneal dialysis is one of the most prevalent types of dialysis prescribed to the patients suffering from renal failure. Studies on the factors affecting the survival of these patients have mainly used log-rank test and Cox analysis. The present study aimed to investigate the risk factors affecting short- and long term survival of patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis [CAPD] using cure model. The data obtained retrospectively from 20 medical centers in Iran, between 1996 and 2009. All patients with renal failure who had been treated by CAPD and followed at least 3 months were included in the study. The STATA [11.0] software and CUREREGR module were used for survival analysis using cure model. Totally 2006 patients were included in this study. The major reasons for renal failure were hypertension [35.4%] and diabetes [33.6%]. The median of survival time was 4.8 years with a 95% confidence interval of 4.3 to 5.6 years. The percentage of long-lived patients surviving was 40% [95% CI: 32%, 47%]. The analysis showed that the effect of diabetes, serum albumin level, age, diastolic blood pressure, and medical center was significant on the long-term survival of the patients. In addition, in short-term survival the effects of age, albumin, and medical center were significant By improving the quality of medical care in centers, nutritional status, controlling co-morbidities can help the patients on CAPD with better health and increase their short and long term survival
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Survival Analysis , Survival Rate , Age Factors , Risk Factors , Serum Albumin , Nutritional StatusABSTRACT
In patients with non-obstructive azoospermia [NOA], vital spermatozoa from the tissue is obtained from testes by enzymatic treatment besides the mechanical treatment. To increase the sperm recovery success of testicular sperm extraction [TESE], with enzymatic digestion if no sperm is obtained from testis tissue by mechanical method. Tissue samples were collected from 150 men who presented with clinical and laboratory data indicating NOA by means of TESE and micro dissection TESE methods. Initially, mature spermatozoa were examined for by mechanical extraction technique shredding the biopsy fractions. In cases whom no spermatozoa was observed after maximum 30 min of initial searching under the inverted microscope, the procedure was followed by enzymatic digestion using DNaseI and collagenase type IV. Surgery type, pathology, AZF, karyotype, hormones and testis size were compared in patients. Of 150 cases with NOA, conventional mincing method extended with enzymatic treatment yielded successful sperm recovery in 13 [about 9%] patients. Comparison of parameters revealed that level of FSH and LH were significantly different [p=0.04 and 0.08 respectively] between two groups that response negative and positive to enzymatic digestion. The combination of conventional TESE and enzymatic digestion is an effective method to recover spermatozoa. The benefit of the mincing combined with enzyme to sperm retrieval for NOA firstly shorten the mechanical searching time, leading to minimizing further cellular damage as well as exposure to external conditions, and secondly reduce the number of cases with sperm recovery failures. Also, the serum level of FSH and LH are factors that influence the chance of sperm retrieval