Tumour cell lysate-loaded dendritic cell vaccine induces biochemical and memory immune response in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Recently, we produced a tumour antigen-presenting cells (TAPCells) vaccine using a melanoma cell lysate, called TRIMEL, as an antigen source and an activation factor. Tumour antigen-presenting cells induced immunological responses and increased melanoma patient survival. Herein, we investigated the effect of TAPCells loaded with prostate cancer cell lysates (PCCL) as an antigen source, and TRIMEL as a dendritic cell (DC) activation factor; which were co-injected with the Concholepas concholepas haemocyanin (CCH) as an adjuvant on castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients. METHODS: The lysate mix capacity, for inducing T-cell activation, was analysed by flow cytometry and Elispot. Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction against PCCL, frequency of CD8(+) memory T cells (Tm) in blood and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in serum were measured in treated patients. RESULTS: The lysate mix induced functional mature DCs that were capable of activating PCCL-specific T cells. No relevant adverse reactions were observed. Six out of 14 patients showed a significant decrease in levels of PSA. DTH(+) patients showed a prolonged PSA doubling-time after treatment. Expansion of functional central and effector CD8(+) Tm were detected. CONCLUSION: Treatment of CRPC patients with lysate-loaded TAPCells and CCH as an adjuvant is safe: generating biochemical and memory immune responses. However, the limited number of cases requires confirmation in a phase II clinical trial.

Histological and hormonal testicular function in oligo/azoospermic infertile men.

We characterised and correlated the histological and hormonal aspects of a cohort of 261 azo/oligozoospermic men, applying a quantitative/qualitative evaluation of testicular tissue and serum and intratesticular hormonal measurements. One hundred and 93 azo/oligozoospermic patients were diagnosed as: complete sertoli cell only syndrome (cSCOS), n = 76; focal SCOS, n = 31; maturation arrest, n = 34; hypospermatogenesis, n = 17; mixed atrophy, n = 25; and severe atrophy, n = 10. Normal spermatogenesis was observed in 68 infertile men (controls). Patients with cSCOS, focal SCOS, mixed and severe atrophy had larger LC/clusters (11.5; 11.0; 10.7; 18.9 LC/cluster) than controls (6 LC/cluster; P < 0.001). cSCOS, focal SCOS, mixed and severe atrophy patients had higher FSH, LH and lower T/LH ratio serum levels than the other groups. Intratesticular testosterone concentrations were higher in tissues with complete or focal SCOS (45.6 ng mg(-1) protein) and mixed atrophy (79.0 ng mg(-1) protein) than normal tissues (20.3 ng mg(-1) protein; P = 0.03 and P = 0.007). Considering all subjects, significant correlations were found between T/LH ratio and Leydig cells/cluster (r = 0.510, P < 0.001), FSH levels (r = -0.692, P < 0.001) and with intratesticular testosterone (r = -0.354, P = 0.001); these correlations follow the pattern of severity of spermatogenic damage. By a thorough histological evaluation, we validate the concept that the severity of spermatogenic impairment is associated with major morphological and functional disturbance of the Leydig cell compartment.

Cirugía urológica en pacientes de 80 años y más: ¿es la edad un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de complicaciones postoperatorias? / Urological surgery in patients 80 years and older: is age a risk factor for the development of postoperative complications?

La expectativa de vida ha ido aumentando en Chile y en el mundo, lo que ha causado un gran impacto a nivel del número de cirugías que se realiza en la población añosa. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir la experiencia de nuestro centro en cirugías urológicas en pacientes mayores de 80 años y analizar que factores aumentan el riesgo de complicaciones postquirúrgicas.Materiales y método: Análisis retrospectivo de 138 cirugías urológicas realizadas en 120 pacientes mayores de 80 años, durante los años 2000 a 2012. Se obtuvo información sociodemográfica, riesgo quirúrgico (ASA), tipo y duración de cirugía realizada, complicaciones post-operatorias (escala de Clavien) y tiempo de hospitalización. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados mediante el programa SPSS v17. Se realizó análisis multivariado y se estableció el riesgo relativo para el desarrollo de complicaciones. Se consideró signi ficativo p<0,05. Resultado: La edad promedio de los pacientes fue de 84+/-3.7 años, 86.2 por ciento fueron hombres. El 96.7 por ciento presentaba algún tipo de comorbilidad, con predominio de hipertensión arterial (60,84 por ciento) y diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (24,16 por ciento). La mayoría de las intervenciones fue de complejidad intermedia (77.27 por ciento), donde la anestesia regional (56,8 por ciento) y la vía endo urológica (84,78 por ciento) fueron las más utilizadas, con un tiempo operatorio promedio de 62+/-52.4 minutos. El riesgo quirúrgico prevalente fue ASA2 (62.7 por ciento). El promedio de hospitalización fue de 2,8+/-2.7 días. El 15.21 por ciento de los pacientes presentó algún tipo de complicación, con predominio de clasifi cación tipo 1 de Clavien (38 por ciento). En el análisis multivariado se evidenció como factores de riesgo signi ficativos para complicaciones, edad mayor a 90 años (p=0.03), presencia de insu ciencia renal (p=0.01), portar 4 o más comorbilidades (p=0.04), cirugía mayor a 3 horas (p=0.03) y tener riesgo quirúrgico ASA3 (p=0.04)...

Life expectancy has been increasing in Chile and in the World. This has caused a great impact over the number of surgeries being performed in the elderly population. The aim of this paper is to describe the experience of our center in urological surgery in patients older than 80 years and analyze which factors increase the risk of postoperative complications.Materials and methods: Retrospective analysis of 138 urological surgeries performed in 120 patients older than 80 years, during the years 2000-2012. Sociodemographic information, surgical risk (ASA), type and duration of surgery, postoperative complications (Clavien scale) and length of hospitalization was obtained. The data were analyzed using SPSS v17. Multivariate analysis was performed and the relative risk for developing complications was established. Signi cance was p <0.05. Average age of the patients was 84 +/- 3.7 years, 86.2percentwere men. The 96.7 percenct had some kind of comorbidity, with prevalence of hypertension (60.84 percent) and diabetes mellitus type 2 (24.16 percent). Most of the interventions was of intermediate complexity (77.27percent), where regional anesthesia (56.8 percent) and endourological aproach (84.78 percent) were the most used, with average operative time of 62 +/- 52.4 minutes. Most common Surgical risk was ASA2 (62.7 percent). Average hospital stay was 2.8 +/- 2.7 days. 15.21 percent of patients had some type of complication, with a predominance of type 1 Clavien classication (38 percent). The multivariate analysis showed signi cant risk factors for complications: age greater than 90 years (p = 0.03), renal failure (p = 0.01), carrying 4 or more comorbidities (p = 0.04), surgery Langer than 3 hours (p = 0.03) and ASA3 surgical risk (p =.04). No mortality was reported in our series. In this study, although most of our patients underwent endourological procedures, we evidence that surgery in patients older than 80 years is feasible...

DAX-1 and DAX-1A expression in human testicular tissues with primary spermatogenic failure.

DAX-1 [dosage-sensitive sex reversal-adrenal hypoplasia congenital (AHC) critical region on the X chromosome gene 1; NR0B1] is an orphan nuclear receptor that acts as a transcriptional repressor in adrenal/gonadal development, steroidogenesis and probably spermatogenesis. An alternatively spliced form called DAX-1A (NR0B1A) has been described in several tissues including the testis, and in vitro studies have shown an inhibitory effect on DAX-1 transcriptional function. We aimed to study the mRNA and protein expression of DAX-1 in testicular tissues of 65 men with primary spermatogenic failure [complete Sertoli cell only syndrome (SCOS), focal SCOS, maturation arrest and mixed atrophy] compared with 33 controls with normal spermatogenesis. As a novel finding, we observed intense immunostaining, not only in the nucleus of Sertoli cells, but also in pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids. The quantitative mRNA expression of DAX-1 and DAX-1A was similar between cases and controls and was not associated with the levels of gonadotrophins and steroids. Moreover, DAX-I transcript expression level was ∼750-fold higher than DAX-1A, and there was a strong positive correlation between them (r = 0.52; P< 0.001). We conclude that, in addition to Sertoli cells, DAX-1/DAX-1A is expressed in germ cells from spermatogonia to round spermatids. Besides, the similar mRNA expression of DAX-I and DAX-IA in testicular tissues from cases and controls does not support the involvement of DAX-1 in the etiology of primary spermatogenic failure. Finally, the low level of expression of the alternative transcriptional variant DAX-1A would not support its putative inhibitory function in vivo.

P450-aromatase activity and expression in human testicular tissues with severe spermatogenic failure.

There is evidence that impaired spermatogenesis is associated with an imbalance in the oestradiol/testosterone ratio and with Leydig cell (LC) dysfunction. In testis, P450-aromatase, encoded by CYP19, is responsible for the conversion of testosterone to oestradiol. The aims of this study were to quantify CYP19 mRNA expression, aromatase activity and protein localization, and to measure the oestradiol to testosterone ratio in testicular tissues of men with spermatogenic impairment. Twenty-four men with complete Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS), 14 with focal SCOS, 14 with maturation arrest (MA), 8 with mixed atrophy and 30 controls with normal spermatogenesis were subjected to testicular biopsy. All subjects underwent a physical examination, cytogenetic and serum hormonal studies. Testicular CYP19 mRNA was quantified using real time RT-PCR. Testicular aromatase activity was measured using the (3)H(2)0 assay and protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. In cases, serum testosterone and oestradiol were normal, but the testosterone/LH ratio was lower compared with controls (p < 0.05). Aromatase was localized in the Leydig, Sertoli and germ cells of all tissues, although stronger intensity was observed in LC. Aromatase mRNA and activity were not altered in cases and correlated positively with LC number (r = 0.516 and r = 0.369; p < 0.008). The intratesticular oestradiol/testosterone ratio was elevated (p = 0.005) in complete SCOS patients compared with controls. In conclusion, testicular aromatase seems to be normal in most subjects with impaired spermatogenesis. However, an altered intratesticular oestradiol/testosterone ratio in some patients with complete SCOS suggests that aromatase is increased, which might contribute to Leydig cell dysfunction.

Quantification of DDX3Y, RBMY1, DAZ and TSPY mRNAs in testes of patients with severe impairment of spermatogenesis.

Y chromosome microdeletion is the most important genetic cause of impairment of spermatogenesis. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of patients with spermatogenic failure do not have this condition. This study investigated the expression level of AZF genes, DDX3Y (DBY), RBMY1, DAZ and TSPY in testicular tissues of 42 subjects with impaired spermatogenesis compared with 33 with normal spermatogenesis. Histopathological evaluation was performed in all subjects and tissues were classified according to Johnsen Score. Transcript amounts were determined by quantitative-competitive RT-PCR. Patients with complete Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) did not exhibit RBMY1, DAZ and TSPY gene expression, however, we detected very low expression of DDX3Y transcript. Tissue samples with focal SCOS showed significantly decreased expression of all genes (P < 0.001). Maturation arrest and hypospermatogenesis tissues expressed significantly low levels of DDX3Y testicular transcript (P < 0.001), while the mRNA levels of the other genes were similar to that in tissues from the normal spermatogenesis group. Negative or diminished gene expression of DDX3Y, RBMY1, DAZ and TSPY in tissues samples with SCOS or focal SCOS reflects the absence or the lower number of germ cells, respectively. The finding that the testicular transcript of DDX3Y is significantly decreased in patients with severe spermatogenenic failure, especially in those presenting maturation arrest, suggests an important role of DDX3Y during spermatogenesis.

Intracavernous self-injection pharmacotherapy program: analysis of results and complications.

We report our long-term results of a self-injection program, in a large number of patients, at our sexual dysfunction center. The results demonstrate the efficacy of the polydrug solution of papaverine-phentolamine-prostaglandin E1 in terms of a long-term durable response with a reduction in side-effects.