Impaired monocyte-derived dendritic cell phenotype in prostate cancer patients: A phenotypic comparison with healthy donors.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in immunity. Research on monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs) cancer vaccines is in progress despite limited success in clinical trials. This study focuses on Mo-DCs generated from prostate cancer (PCA) patients, comparing them with DCs from healthy donors (HD-DCs). METHODS: Mo-DCs were isolated from PCA patient samples, and their phenotype was compared to HD-DCs. Key parameters included monocyte count, CD14 expression, and the levels of maturation markers (HLA-DR, CD80, CD86) were assessed. RESULTS: PCA samples exhibited a significantly lower monocyte count and reduced CD14 expression compared to healthy samples (p ⟨ 0.0001). Additionally, PCA-DCs expressed significantly lower levels of maturation markers, including HLA-DR, CD80, and CD86, when compared to HD-DCs (p = 0.123, p = 0.884, and p = 0.309, respectively). CONCLUSION: The limited success of DC vaccines could be attributed to impaired phenotypic characteristics. These observations suggest that suboptimal characteristics of Mo-DCs generated from cancer patient blood samples might contribute to the limited success of DC vaccines. Consequently, this study underscores the need for alternative strategies to enhance the features of Mo-DCs for more effective cancer immunotherapies.

Male infertility and depression: a neglected problem in the Middle East.

INTRODUCTION: Little attention has been paid to the psychological status of infertile men from developing countries who have been traditionally stigmatized as feeble and ineffective. AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of depression and its socio-demographic correlates in a sample of Iranian infertile men. METHODS: One hundred and fourteen infertile men filled out the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory. Men who scored ≥ 17 were considered depressed and those with the score ≤ 16 were assumed to be nondepressed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (i) Comparison between depressed and non-depressed men regarding age, education level, economic status, ethnicity, age at time of marriage, duration, and type of infertility and regular cigarette smoking. (ii) Independent risk factors for depression. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 34.1 ± 7.1 years. The diagnosis of depression was made in 42.9% of infertile men. Current age, age at marriage, economic status, and type of infertility were not statistically different between two groups (P > 0.05). Statistically significant association was detected between depression symptoms and education (P < 0.001), cigarette smoking (P < 0.008), and duration of infertility (P < 0.03). In an adjusted multiple regression model, education (odds ratio [OR] 0.2; confidence interval [CI] 0.06-0.5, P < 0.003), ethnicity (OR 4.5; CI 1.5-13.3, P < 0.006), and cigarette smoking (OR 5.1; CI 1.4-18.5, P < 0.01) retained their significance, while duration of infertility lost its power. CONCLUSION: Depression among Iranian infertile men is remarkably higher in comparison with Western countries. Azaris, cigarette smokers, and individuals with low educational level are at higher risk of developing depression among infertile men.