Spermatogonial quantity in prepubertal boys undergoing fertility preservation is comparable between haematological and non-haematological cancers.

Fertility restoration potential of immature testicular tissue (ITT) depends on the number of spermatogonial cells in the retrieved tissue prior to cryopreservation in oncofertility programme. There are limited data on the association between type of malignancy and testicular germ cell population. Hence, this study is aimed to investigate the spermatogonial and Sertoli cell population in ITT retrieved from 14 pre-pubertal boys who opted for fertility preservation. Histopathological and immunochemical analysis of seminiferous tubules from haematological (N = 7) and non-haematological (N = 7) malignant patients revealed 3.43 ± 2.92 and 1.71 ± 1.81 spermatogonia per tubular cross section (S/T), respectively. The Sertoli cell number was comparable between haematological and non-haematological group (18.42 ± 3.78 and 22.03 ± 10.43). Spermatogonial quantity in ITT did not vary significantly between haematological and non-haematological cancers. This observation, though preliminary, would contribute to the limited literature on paediatric male oncofertility.

Differential sperm histone retention in normozoospermic ejaculates of infertile men negatively affects sperm functional competence and embryo quality.

BACKGROUND: The unique epigenetic architecture that sperm cells acquire during spermiogenesis by retaining <15% of either canonical or variant histone proteins in their genome is essential for normal embryogenesis. Whilst heterogeneous levels of retained histones are found in morphologically normal spermatozoa, their effect on reproductive outcomes is not fully understood. METHODS: Processed spermatozoa (n = 62) were tested for DNA integrity by sperm chromatin dispersion assay, and retained histones were extracted and subjected to dot-blot analysis. The impact of retained histone modifications in normozoospermic patients on sperm functional characteristics, embryo quality, metabolic signature in embryo spent culture medium and pregnancy outcome was studied. RESULTS: Dot-blot analysis showed heterogeneous levels of retained histones in the genome of normozoospermic ejaculates. Post-wash sperm yield was affected by an increase in H3K27Me3 and H4K20Me3 levels in the sperm chromatin (p < 0.05). Also, spermatozoa with higher histone H3 retention had increased DNA damage (p < 0.05). Spermatozoa from these cohorts, when injected into donor oocytes, correlated to a significant decrease in the fertilisation rate with an increase in sperm histone H3 (p < 0.05) and H3K27Me3 (p < 0.01). An increase in histone H3 negatively affected embryo quality (p < 0.01) and clinical pregnancy outcome post-embryo transfer (p < 0.05). On the other hand, spent culture medium metabolites assessed by high-resolution (800 MHz) nuclear magnetic resonance showed an increased intensity of the amino acid methionine in the non-pregnant group than in the pregnant group (p < 0.05) and a negative correlation with sperm histone H3 in the pregnant group (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Histone retention in spermatozoa can be one of the factors behind the development of idiopathic male infertility. Such spermatozoa may influence embryonic behaviour and thereby affect the success rate of assisted reproductive technology procedures. These results, although descriptive in nature, warrant further research to address the underlying mechanisms behind these clinically important observations.

Spatial Patterns in the Distribution of Hypertension among Men and Women in India and Its Relationship with Health Insurance Coverage.

The present study explores district-level data associated with health insurance coverage (%) and the prevalence of hypertension (mildly, moderately, and severely elevated) observed across men and women as per NFHS 5. Coastal districts in the peninsular region of India and districts in parts of northeastern India have the highest prevalence of elevated blood pressure. Jammu and Kashmir, parts of Gujarat and parts of Rajasthan have a lower prevalence of elevated blood pressure. Intrastate heterogeneity in spatial patterns of elevated blood pressure is mainly seen in central India. The highest burden of elevated blood pressure is in the state of Kerala. Rajasthan is among the states with higher health insurance coverage and a lower prevalence of elevated blood pressure. There is a relatively low positive relationship between health insurance coverage and the prevalence of elevated blood pressure. Health insurance in India generally covers the cost of inpatient care to the exclusion of outpatient care. This might mean that health insurance has limited impact in improving the diagnosis of hypertension. Access to public health centers raises the probability of adults with hypertension receiving treatment with antihypertensives. Access to public health centers has been seen to be especially significant at the poorer end of the economic spectrum. The health and wellness center initiative under Ayushman Bharat will play a crucial role in hypertension control in India.

Semen characteristics of individuals before and after CovishieldTM vaccination.

Concern about fertility impairment after vaccination is one of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in the population. This retrospective observational study aims to understand the impact of CovishieldTM (ChAdOx1 nCoV- 19 Corona Virus Vaccine, Recombinant) COVID-19 vaccination on ejaculate quality in fifty-three patients undergoing semen analysis between 2018 to 2021. A baseline semen profile was recorded from the subjects during their visit before the vaccination for fertility work-up. Follow-up ejaculates were provided approximately 82 (Q1:37, Q3:124) days after the second dose of vaccination. Semen characteristics such as volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and morphological abnormalities were recorded. Of the 53 subjects, 33 (62%) had semen characteristics above the WHO reference. In general, no significant variations in the semen parameters were observed except for a moderate decline in sperm morphology (p< 0.05). The baseline semen characteristics in 20 (38%) subjects were below the WHO reference range; however, no significant decline in the ejaculate quality was observed in their follow-up samples. Further, none of the ejaculates in both study groups were azoospermic during the follow-up evaluation. Our results affirm that CovishieldTM vaccine is not detrimental to male fertility.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices among dental practitioners on methods of infection control while carrying out dental procedures during novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: dental procedures produce bio-aerosols that can carry the highly contagious COVID-19 virus. Hence, the entire dental care team has to follow the current COVID-19 related infection control protocols. The study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices associated with infection control methods during dental procedures among dental practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. METHODS: the online questionnaire consisted of four sections namely, demographic details, eight questions on knowledge, four questions on attitude and eight questions on the practice of dentists during COVID-19 pandemic. One point was attributed for a correct response and zero point for an incorrect response. The study used descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models in Jamovi 1.8.1 to establish relationships between knowledge, attitude, and practices among dental professionals and their demographic characteristics. RESULTS: among 384 dentists, 294 (76.6%) were aware of the hand hygiene methods, 372 dentists (96.9%) were aware of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 343 dentists (89.3%) recorded the body temperature of the patients. One hundred and thirty eight (138) dentists (35.9%) did not use rubber dam and 158 dentists (41.1%) were not aware of the four-handed dentistry. Among the study participants, 57.8% displayed adequate knowledge, 63.8% possessed good attitude and 93.5% followed good practices on COVID-19 appropriate infection control measures during dental procedures. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were found to be 6.61, 2.04, and 3.38 respectively. Based on multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, it is observed that males (aOR: 0.55, 95% CI 0.35-0.87; p=0.011) have a lower likelihood of having a good knowledge when compared with females after adjusting for the other independent variables in the model. Also, individuals with higher qualifications (aOR: 0.57, 95% CI 0.36-0.92; p=0.022) appear to have lower likelihood of having good knowledge on COVID-19 infection control methods during dental procedure. CONCLUSION: the study concludes that participants possess sound knowledge, attitude and practice on hand hygiene, PPE, patient triage and waiting area modifications at the workplace. However, poor response was noted on the use of rubber dam, remote telephonic screening and four-handed dentistry practice.