Propionibacterium acnes in urine and semen samples from men with urinary infection.

OBJECTIVE: Propionibacterium acnes has been implicated in the pathogenesis of prostate disease as acute and chronic prostatic inflammation, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer although it should still be clarified if Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) is a commensal or accidental prostate pathogen. Aiming to evaluate the pathogenic potential for genitourinary tract of Propionibacterium acnes, we investigated the frequency of P. acnes genome in urine or semen samples from men with recurrent symptoms of urinary infection and negative testing for the most common urinary tract pathogens and sexually transmitted infections (STI) agents as Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Mycoplasma hominis, Ureaplasma parvum and Ureaplasma urealyticum. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The DNA extracted from urine and semen samples was analyzed for evaluating the P. acnes genome presence by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Infections were treated with vancomycin and cephalosporins antibiotics and then the search for the P.acnes genome by realtime PCR was repeated. RESULTS: The P. acnes qualitative real-time PCR revealed the genome in 73 out of 159 samples examined (108 urine and 51 semen). After antibiotic therapy, P. acnes was never detected. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that P. acnes genome determination should be performed in cases of chronic inflammation in the urinary tract to identify an unknown potential pathogen of genitourinary tract.

Molecular evidence of apoptotic pathway activation in semen samples with high DNA fragmentation.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Male infertility is diagnosed by semen parameters, such as concentration, motility and morphology; however, these are not sufficient for the prediction of male fertility capacity. In the clinical routine, several other sperm functions have been introduced, including the sperm DNA fragmentation test. The objective of the present study was to evaluate sperm chromatin integrity in semen samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCD) was used in ejaculates from men divided into five groups: normozoospermic, oligozoospermic, asthenozoospermic, oligoasthenozoospermic and cryptozoospermic. RESULTS: The data obtained showed that the SCD percentage appeared to be significantly associated with oligozoospermia diagnosis. We also evaluated total testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and inhibin B serum hormonal levels in all samples examined, in order to assess whether DNA fragmentation increase could correlate with abnormal hormonal values. Finally we selected certain samples with an increasing DNA fragmentation and analyzed the molecular activated apoptotic pathways. CONCLUSION: A significant relationship was found between caspase-3 activation and increased DNA fragmentation.