New Immunological Indexes for the Effect of Systemic Inflammation on Oocyte and Embryo Development in Women With Unexplained Infertility: Systemic Immune Response Index and Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value.

PROBLEM: Predicting the impact of systemic inflammation on oocyte and embryonic development in unexplained infertile women using the new immunological indexes. METHOD OF STUDY: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the records of the In Vitro Fertilization Department of Ankara Gülhane Training and Research Hospital. After reviewing the records of patients who had undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF) for unexplained infertility (UI) and excluding all known factors that could cause systemic immune inflammation, the systemic immune response index (SIRI), and pan-immune score were calculated from the pre-treatment hemogram parameters between the embryo arrest (EA) group and the embryo transfer group. It was investigated whether there was a statistical difference between the two groups and whether an SIRI value affecting embryo quality was found. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cut-off values for inflammatory markers to predict EA. RESULTS: The 108 EA group (embryos that were arrested during their development and could not be transferred) and the 140 embryo transfer group showed statistically significant differences in the parameters of systemic inflammatory index (SII), SIRI, pan-immune inflammation value (PIV), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p < 0.05). These inflammatory parameters, which were examined before ovulation induction, also correlated positively with the required total dose of gonadotropin and negatively with the ovarian sensitivity index (OSI). SII, SIRI, PIV, and NLR have specific cut-off values with ROC analysis and determine the effect of the inflammatory status of the environment in which the oocyte develops on EA (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: In women with UI, high levels of systemic immune inflammation have a negative impact on oocyte and embryo development, and treatments to suppress inflammation may improve IVF success.

Lupus progression deteriorates oogenesis quality in MRL/lpr mice.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the activation of the immune response against self antigens. Numerous reproductive complications, including reduced birth rate and complications for the mother and the fetus during pregnancy, have been observed in women with SLE. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of SLE development on oocyte meiosis in lupus-prone mice. Lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice were used for the experiments: disease-free (4 weeks of age) and sick (20 weeks of age, virgin and postpartum). The immune response was monitored by flow cytometry, ELISpot, ELISA, and histology. Oocytes were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy based on chromatin, tubulin, and actin structures. The lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice developed age-dependent symptoms of SLE with increased levels of various autoantibodies, proteinuria, and renal infiltrates and a tendency for the immune response to worsen with changes in cell populations and the cytokine profile. The number and quality of oocytes were also affected, and the successful pregnancy rate of MRL/lpr mice was limited to only 60%. Isolated oocytes showed severe structural changes in all studied groups. Systemic alterations in immune homeostasis in SLE affect the quality of developing oocytes, which is evident from a young age. The data obtained is in line with the trend of reduced fertility in lupus-prone MRL/lpr mice. The phenomenon can be explained by changes in the microenvironment of the relevant organs and close connection between ovulation and inflammatory processes.

Expression Profile of New Gene Markers and Signaling Pathways Involved in Immunological Processes in Human Cumulus-Oophorus Cells.

The function of the immune system extends from defense against external pathogens to the recognition and elimination of mutated or dying cells, aiding elimination of malignant potential and/or maintaining homeostasis. The many cell types of the immune system secrete a broad range of factors to enable cellular signaling that is vital to physiological processes. Additionally, in the ovary, follicular selection and maturation, as well as ovulation, are directly regulated by the nearby immune cells. Additionally, ovulation and rupture of the follicle have been observed to resemble a local inflammatory response. Cells of the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) show evolving gene expression profiles throughout the oocytes' lifespan, including genes associated with immunological processes. Analysis of these genes allows the identification of useful molecular markers, as well as highlighting gene functions and interactions in these cells. Cumulus cells were obtained from hormonally stimulated patients undergoing an in vitro fertilization procedure and studied under long-term culture conditions. The microarray technique made it possible to compare the level of CCs' gene expression on the 1st, 7th, 15th and 30th day of cultivation. Additionally, RNA microarray analysis was performed to map gene expression in these cells, associated with immunological processes and associated cytokine signaling. Subsequently, the use of DAVID software allowed us to identify the "defense response to other organism", "defense response", "defense response to virus", "cytokine secretion", "cytokine production" and "cytokine-mediated signaling pathway" GO BP terms, as well as allowing further analysis of the most differentially expressed genes associated with these processes. Of the 122 genes involved, 121 were upregulated and only one was downregulated. The seven most upregulated genes related to the abovementioned terms were ANXA3, IFIT1, HLA-DPA1, MX1, KRT8, HLA-DRA and KRT18. Therefore, genes involved in immunological defense processes are upregulated in CC cultures and could serve as useful molecular markers of growth and development in the COC, as well as the proliferation of granulosa and cumulus cells.

Anticentromere antibody induced by immunization with centromere protein a and Freund's complete adjuvant may interfere with mouse oocyte meiosis.

BACKGROUND: Anticentromere antibody (ACA) is a member of the antinuclear antibody (ANA) family, and recent studies have found that ACA may be associated with oocyte maturation disorders; however, the possible mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unknown. We conducted this study to investigate whether ACA could penetrate into the living oocytes and interfere with oocyte meiosis in a mouse model. METHODS: We divided mice into three groups: human recombinant centromere protein-A (human CENP-A, HA) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were used to immunize mice for the study group (HA + CFA), and mice injected with CFA (CFA group) or saline (Saline group), respectively, served as controls. After immunization, serum anti-CENP-A antibody was detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Chromosome alignment and intracellular IgG localization in MI- and MII-stage oocytes were investigated by immunofluorescence analysis. RESULTS: Positive ACAs were successfully induced by immunization with CENP-A and CFA, and results showed that the serum level of anti-CENP-A antibody was significantly higher in the HA + CFA group compared with the control groups. There was marked increase of chromosome misalignments in MI and MII oocytes in the HA + CFA group compared to the control groups. However, no oocytes from any of the three groups showed intracellular antibody immunofluorescence. CONCLUSIONS: The development and maturation of oocytes were impaired in peripheral ACA positive mice, which exhibited severe chromosomal misalignments in metaphase meiosis; however, no evidence of ACAs entering the oocytes was observed, thus the underlying mechanism needs further exploration.

Immunochemical Detection of Modified Cytosine Species in Lampbrush Chromatin.

The lampbrush chromosomes found in the giant nucleus or germinal vesicle (GV) of amphibian oocytes provide unique opportunities for discrete closed and open chromatin structural domains to be directly observable by simple light microscopy. Moreover, the method described here for preparing spreads of lampbrush chromatin for immunostaining enables a straightforward approach to establishing the distributions of modified nucleotides within and between structurally and functionally distinctive chromatin domains.

The effect of human papilloma virus vaccination on embryo yield and clinical in vitro fertilisation outcomes: a matched retrospective cohort study.

The effects of HPV vaccination on embryo yield and pregnancy outcomes in IVF cycles with fresh embryo transfer (ET) were investigated. First, embryo yielding rates (EYR) in 2795 cycles with and without HPV vaccination were compared by retrospective cohort study design. EYR of HPV vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients were not significantly different (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 0.76-3.63). Second, ET outcomes were compared for 155 HPV vaccine + cycles and 465 HPV vaccine - cycles after matching for ages and cycle attempt number. The differences in the number of retrieved oocytes (10.2 ± 6.1, 11.2 ± 6.7; p = .161), mature (MII) oocytes (8.7 ± 5.7, 9.8 ± 6.3; p = .088), two pronuclear zygotes (2PN) (5.4 ± 4.1, 6.1 ± 4.6; p = .110) and fertilisation rates (0.62 ± 0.23, 0.62 ± 0.23; p = .539) were insignificant between the two groups. Moreover, positive (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.47-1.16), clinical (0.60; 0.36-1.01) and the ongoing pregnancy (0.55; 0.30-1.01) rates were lower in the HPV vaccinated group but the difference was not statistically significant.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? There are recent case studies that report premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) following a post-vaccination autoimmune response against the HPV vaccine. These studies suggest that the possible trigger for the immune reaction might be the immunogen content of the vaccine. However, the number of clinical studies investigating the effects of the HPV vaccine on reproductive function and in vitro fertilisation outcomes is limited.What do the results of this study add? In contrast to the case reports suggesting impaired reproductive and ovarian functions in HPV vaccinated patients, this study finds that in IVF patients HPV vaccinated and non-vaccinated women have similar EYR, MII, 2PN, oocyte counts, fertilisation rates, positive, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The results suggest the HPV vaccine does not have a negative impact on embryo yielding rates oocyte counts and fertilisation rates, positive, clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates in IVF treatments. Hence, they can be safely used for primary prevention against cervical cancer.

Versican G1 Fragment Establishes a Strongly Stabilized Interaction with Hyaluronan-Rich Expanding Matrix during Oocyte Maturation.

In the mammalian ovary, the hyaluronan (HA)-rich cumulus extracellular matrix (ECM) organized during the gonadotropin-induced process of oocyte maturation is essential for ovulation of the oocyte-cumulus complex (OCC) and fertilization. Versican is an HA-binding proteoglycan that regulates cell function and ECM assembly. Versican cleavage and function remain to be determined in ovarian follicle. We investigated versican expression in porcine ovarian follicles by real-time (RT)-PCR and western blotting. The aims of the present work were to determine whether 1) versican was produced and cleaved by porcine OCCs during gonadotropin stimulation; 2) these processes were autonomous or required the participation of mural granulosa cells (MGCs); and 3) versican cleavage was involved in the formation or degradation of expanded cumulus ECM. We demonstrate two cleavage products of G1 domain of versican (V1) accumulated in the HA-rich cumulus ECM. One of them, a G1-DPEAAE N-terminal fragment (VG1) of ~70 kDa, was generated from V1 during organization of HA in in vivo and in vitro expanded porcine OCCs. Second, the V1-cleaved DPEAAE-positive form of ~65 kDa was the only species detected in MGCs. No versican cleavage products were detected in OCCs cultured without follicular fluid. In summary, porcine OCCs are autonomous in producing and cleaving V1; the cleaved fragment of ~70 kDa VG1 is specific for formation of the expanded cumulus HA-rich ECM.

The Role of Macrophages in Oocyte Donation Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.

The embryo of an oocyte donation (OD) pregnancy is completely allogeneic to the mother, which leads to a more serious challenge for the maternal immune system to tolerize the fetus. It is thought that macrophages are essential in maintaining a healthy pregnancy, by acting in immunomodulation and spiral arterial remodeling. OD pregnancies represent an interesting model to study complex immunologic interactions between the fetus and the pregnant woman since the embryo is totally allogeneic compared to the mother. Here, we describe a narrative review on the role of macrophages and pregnancy and a systematic review was performed on the role of macrophages in OD pregnancies. Searches were made in different databases and the titles and abstracts were evaluated by three independent authors. In total, four articles were included on OD pregnancies and macrophages. Among these articles, some findings are conflicting between studies, indicating that more research is needed in this area. From current research, we could identify that there are multiple subtypes of macrophages, having diverse biological effects, and that the ratio between subtypes is altered during gestation and in aberrant pregnancy. The study of macrophages' phenotypes and their functions in OD pregnancies might be beneficial to better understand the maternal-fetal tolerance system.

Morphometric, subcellular, in vitro fertilisation and embryonic developmental assessment of mouse oocytes produced by anti-inhibin serum or pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin superovulation.

This study compared the morphometric, subcellular characteristics, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryonic developmental potential of metaphase II (MII) mouse oocytes obtained from females superovulated with either anti-inhibin serum-human chorionic gonadotrophin (AIS-hCG) or pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG)-hCG. The oocyte's quantity, quality, zona pellucida (ZP) thickness, perivitelline space (PVS), diameter, microtubules, F-actin, cortical granules (CGs) and mitochondrial distribution were determined. Superovulation using AIS-hCG resulted in a higher numbers of oocyte/donor compared with PMSG-hCG (P=0.002). There was no difference in morphologically normal and abnormal oocytes between AIS-hCG and PMSG-hCG (P=0.425 and P=0.194, respectively). The morphometric measurements showed no difference in oocyte diameter between AIS-hCG and PMSG-hCG (P=0.289). However, the thickness of the ZP of oocytes from AIS-hCG females was decreased compared with PMSG-hCG (P<0.001). The PVS of oocytes from the AIS-hCG was larger than with PMSG-hCG (P<0.001). The microtubules of oocytes from both AIS-hCG and PMSG-hCG were normal, although there was an increased fluorescence intensity in the AIS-hCG oocytes (P<0.001). The F-actin and CGs distribution in oocytes from both AIS-hCG and PMSG-hCG were similar (P=0.330 and P=0.13, respectively). Although the oocytes from PMSG-hCG females had homogenously distributed mitochondria, AIS-hCG oocytes showed more peripheral distribution with no differences in fluorescence intensity (P=0.137). The blastocyst development rates after IVF with fresh sperm showed no difference between AIS-hCG and PMSG-hCG (P=0.235). These data suggested that AIS-hCG superovulation produces high numbers of morphologically normal oocytes that also possess normal subcellular structures, good morphological characteristics and had high invitro embryonic developmental potential.

PFA is superior to glyoxal in preserving oocyte, embryo, and stem cell proteins evidenced by super-resolution microscopical surveys of epitopes.

PURPOSE: Chemical fixation is a critical step to retaining cellular targets as naturally as possible. Recent developments in microscopy allow sophisticated detection and measuring techniques with which spatio-temporal molecular alterations are conceivable. In this study, we compare two members of aldehyde fixatives [i.e., glyoxal (Gly) and paraformaldehyde (PFA)] to determine whether Gly, a less toxic dialdehyde fixative that is considered to retain immunoreactivity could provide a successful and consistent cell fixation in favor of PFA in various cell preparations and types. METHODS: We document the fixation competence of Gly and PFA side-by-side (with or without Triton X-100 permeabilization) in live- and fixed-cell preparations in mouse oocytes, embryos, and human somatic cells (human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells) using protein quantification by Western blot assay and super-resolution microscopy. RESULTS: Although Gly seemed to act faster than PFA, catastrophic consequences were found not acceptable, especially in oocytes and embryos. Due to cell lysate and immunocytochemistry surveys, it was obvious that PFA is superior to Gly in retaining cellular proteins in situ with little/no background staining. In many samples, PFA revealed more reliable and consistent results regarding the protein quantity and cellular localization corresponding to previously defined patterns in the literature. CONCLUSION: Although the use of Gly is beneficial as indicated by previous reports, we concluded that it does not meet the requirement for proper fixation, at least for the tested cell types and proteins. However, PFA alone with no addition of TX displayed a significant cytoplasmic loss by generating membrane blebs during fixation.

Transgenerational Immune Priming in the Field: Maternal Environmental Experience Leads to Differential Immune Transfer to Oocytes in the Marine Annelid Hediste diversicolor.

Transgenerational immune priming (TGIP) is an intriguing form of parental care which leads to the plastic adjustment of the progeny's immunity according to parental immune experience. Such parental effect has been described in several vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. However, very few empirical studies have been conducted from the field, with natural host-parasite systems and real ecological settings, especially in invertebrates. We investigated TGIP in wild populations of the marine annelid Hediste diversicolor. Females laid eggs in a mud tube and thus shared the local microbial threats with the first developmental stages, thus meeting expectations for the evolution of TGIP. We evidenced that a maternal bacterial challenge led to the higher antibacterial defense of the produced oocytes, with higher efficiency in the case of Gram-positive bacterial challenge, pointing out a prevalent role of these bacteria in the evolutionary history of TGIP in this species. Underlying mechanisms might involve the antimicrobial peptide hedistin that was detected in the cytoplasm of oocytes and whose mRNAs were selectively stored in higher quantity in mature oocytes, after a maternal immune challenge. Finally, maternal immune transfer was significantly inhibited in females living in polluted areas, suggesting associated costs and the possible trade-off with female's protection.

Prenatal androgen exposure and transgenerational susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome.

How obesity and elevated androgen levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affect their offspring is unclear. In a Swedish nationwide register-based cohort and a clinical case-control study from Chile, we found that daughters of mothers with PCOS were more likely to be diagnosed with PCOS. Furthermore, female mice (F0) with PCOS-like traits induced by late-gestation injection of dihydrotestosterone, with and without obesity, produced female F1-F3 offspring with PCOS-like reproductive and metabolic phenotypes. Sequencing of single metaphase II oocytes from F1-F3 offspring revealed common and unique altered gene expression across all generations. Notably, four genes were also differentially expressed in serum samples from daughters in the case-control study and unrelated women with PCOS. Our findings provide evidence of transgenerational effects in female offspring of mothers with PCOS and identify possible candidate genes for the prediction of a PCOS phenotype in future generations.

Delivery of SA35 and SA40 peptides in mice enhances humoral and cellular immune responses and confers protection against Cryptosporidium parvum infection.

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidium parvum is a major cause of diarrhea in children and ruminants at the earliest stages of life. Maternal antibodies represent the main shield of neonate mammals for most of the infections. Two recombinant antigens (SA35 and SA40), portions of two C. parvum proteins, were tested for their ability to induce immune responses in adult mice and for protection on neonate BALB/c mice born from females immunised by mucosal delivery of both peptides. METHODS: Adult BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally immunised with SA35 and SA40, separately or mixed, and their immune response was characterised. Furthermore, BALB/c pregnant mice were immunised by mucosal delivery with an SA35/40 mix, before and during pregnancy. Soon after birth, their offspring were infected with two doses (1 × 105 and 5 × 103) of C. parvum oocysts and the parasitic burden was determined at 5 and 9 days post-infection. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal immunisation with SA35 and SA40 induced specific IgG and IgG1 in serum, specific IgA in the intestinal mucosa, increase of CD3+/CD4+ and CD30+ cells in splenocytes, which produced IFN-γ. Neonates born from immunised mice and infected with 1 × 105 oocysts showed a significant reduction of oocysts and intestinal forms (23 and 42%, respectively). A reduction of all parasitic forms (96%; P < 0.05) was observed when neonates were infected with 5 × 103 oocysts. CONCLUSIONS: SA35 and SA40 peptides induce specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to C. parvum in adult mice. Moreover, mucosal administration of the SA35/40 mix in pregnant mice reduces C. parvum burden in their litters.

Dual role of the Anopheles coluzzii Venus Kinase Receptor in both larval growth and immunity.

Vector-borne diseases and especially malaria are responsible for more than half million deaths annually. The increase of insecticide resistance in wild populations of Anopheles malaria vectors emphasises the need for novel vector control strategies as well as for identifying novel vector targets. Venus kinase receptors (VKRs) constitute a Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) family only found in invertebrates. In this study we functionally characterized Anopheles VKR in the Gambiae complex member, Anopheles coluzzii. Results showed that Anopheles VKR can be activated by L-amino acids, with L-arginine as the most potent agonist. VKR was not required for the fecundity of A. coluzzii, in contrast to reports from other insects, but VKR function is required in both Anopheles males and females for development of larval progeny. Anopheles VKR function is also required for protection against infection by Plasmodium parasites, thus identifying a novel linkage between reproduction and immunity in Anopheles. The insect specificity of VKRs as well as the essential function for reproduction and immunity suggest that Anopheles VKR could be a potentially druggable target for novel vector control strategies.

Cryptosporidium parvum Subtilisin-Like Serine Protease (SUB1) Is Crucial for Parasite Egress from Host Cells.

Despite the severity and global burden of Cryptosporidium infection, treatments are less than optimal, and there is no effective vaccine. Egress from host cells is a key process for the completion of the life cycle of apicomplexan parasites. For Plasmodium species, subtilisin-like serine protease (SUB1) is a key mediator of egress. For Toxoplasma species, calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are critical. In this study, we characterized Cryptosporidium SUB1 expression and evaluated its effect using an infection model. We found increased expression between 12 and 20 h after in vitro infection, prior to egress. We induced silencing of SUB1 (ΔSUB1) mRNA using SUB1 single-stranded antisense RNA coupled with human Argonaute 2. Silencing of SUB1 mRNA expression did not affect parasite viability, excystation, or invasion of target cells. However, knockdown led to a 95% decrease in the proportion of released merozoites in vitro (P < 0.0001). In contrast, silencing of CDPK5 had no effect on egress. Overall, our results indicate that SUB1 is a key mediator of Cryptosporidium egress and suggest that interruption of the life cycle at this stage may effectively inhibit the propagation of infection.

The Influence of Pentraxin 3 on the Ovarian Function and Its Impact on Fertility.

Follicular development is a highly coordinated process that in humans takes more than 6 months. Pituitary gonadotropins and a variety of locally produced growth factors and cytokines are involved in determining a precise sequence of changes in cell metabolism, proliferation, vascularization, and matrix remodeling in order to obtain a follicle with full ovulatory and steroidogenic capability. A low-grade inflammation can alter such processes leading to premature arrest of follicular growth and female reproductive failure. On the other hand, factors that are involved in inflammatory response as well as in innate immunity are physiologically upregulated in the follicle at the final stage of maturation and play an essential role in ovulation and fertilization. The generation of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) deficient mice provided the first evidence that this humoral pattern recognition molecule of the innate immunity has a non-redundant role in female fertility. The expression, localization, and molecular interactions of PTX3 in the periovulatory follicle have been extensively studied in the last 10 years. In this review, we summarize findings demonstrating that PTX3 is synthesized before ovulation by cells surrounding the oocyte and actively participates in the organization of the hyaluronan-rich provisional matrix required for successful fertilization. Data in humans tend to confirm these findings, indicating PTX3 as a biomarker of oocyte quality. Moreover, we discuss the emerging evidence that in humans altered PTX3 systemic levels, determined by genetic variations and/or low-grade chronic inflammation, can also impact the growth and development of the follicle and affect the incidence of ovarian disorders.

Large-scale genetic analysis reveals mammalian mtDNA heteroplasmy dynamics and variance increase through lifetimes and generations.

Vital mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) populations exist in cells and may consist of heteroplasmic mixtures of mtDNA types. The evolution of these heteroplasmic populations through development, ageing, and generations is central to genetic diseases, but is poorly understood in mammals. Here we dissect these population dynamics using a dataset of unprecedented size and temporal span, comprising 1947 single-cell oocyte and 899 somatic measurements of heteroplasmy change throughout lifetimes and generations in two genetically distinct mouse models. We provide a novel and detailed quantitative characterisation of the linear increase in heteroplasmy variance throughout mammalian life courses in oocytes and pups. We find that differences in mean heteroplasmy are induced between generations, and the heteroplasmy of germline and somatic precursors diverge early in development, with a haplotype-specific direction of segregation. We develop stochastic theory predicting the implications of these dynamics for ageing and disease manifestation and discuss its application to human mtDNA dynamics.

Immunogenesis of preeclampsia: lessons from donor gametes.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia remains an important complication of pregnancy. It is associated with mortality and morbidity for both maternal and fetal/newborn patients. Although major inroads have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of preeclampsia in recent decades, the initial primary cause of its occurrence in some women and not others has escaped clarification. REVIEW: There have been a number of clinical clues pointing to an immune genesis of this disease, including most recently the use of donor gametes in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Despite a number of confounding variables, most studies investigating the addition of donor ova to the ART environment point in the direction of an immune genesis due to the burden of an increasingly foreign fetal allograft on the maternal host. A review of a selection of these studies and a contemporary review of our own Maternal Fetal Medicine practice observations in this regard was completed. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective evidence suggests a highly likely association. A more basic understanding of the immune interactions at the maternal-fetal interface is required before a final solution to this problem will be at hand and targeted remedies can be formulated.

Immunofluorescent detection in the ovary of host antibodies against a secretory ferritin injected into female Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks.

Due to the continuous threat of ticks and tick-borne diseases to human and animal health worldwide, and the drawbacks of chemical acaricide application, many researchers are exploring vaccination as an alternative tick control method. Earlier studies have shown that host antibodies can circulate in the ticks, but it has not been confirmed whether these antibodies can be passed on to the eggs. We previously reported that ticks infesting rabbits immunized with a recombinant secretory ferritin of Haemaphysalis longicornis (HlFER2) had reduced egg production and hatching. Here we attempted to detect the presence of antibodies against HlFER2 in the ovary and eggs of female ticks through immunofluorescent visualization. Purified anti-HlFER2 antibodies or rabbit IgG for control was directly injected to engorged female H. longicornis. Ovaries and eggs after oviposition were collected and prepared for an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Positive fluorescence was detected in ovaries one day post-injection of anti-HlFER2 antibodies. Through silencing of Hlfer2 gene, we also determined whether the injected antibodies can specifically bind to native HlFER2. Immunofluorescence was observed in the oocytes of dsLuciferase control ticks injected with anti-HlFER2 antibodies, but not in the oocytes of Hlfer2-silenced ticks also injected with anti-HlFER2 antibodies. Our current findings suggest that host antibodies can be passed on to the oocytes, which is significant in formulating a vaccine that can disrupt tick reproduction.

Impacts of Anti-dsDNA Antibody on In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer and Frozen-Thawed Embryo Transfer.

Our purpose is to explore whether anti-dsDNA antibody, which was demonstrated to enter living cells and induced apoptosis, could adversely affect reproductive outcomes. A total of 259 women receiving the in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF) cycle were enrolled in this study, including 52 women with positive ANA and anti-dsDNA (ANA+/anti-dsDNA+ group), 86 women with positive ANA and negative anti-dsDNA (ANA+/anti-dsDNA- group), and 121 women with negative ANA and anti-dsDNA (ANA-/anti-dsDNA- group). 136 nonpregnant women among 259 patients in the IVF-ET cycle were enrolled in the hormone replacement therapy frozen-thawed embryo transfer (HRT-TET) cycle. We compared basic characters and IVF outcomes among three groups in fresh embryo transfer and frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle, respectively. The number of retrieved oocytes, available embryos, and high-quality embryos in the ANA+/anti-dsDNA+ group was lower than those in the other two groups in the fresh embryo transfer cycle. The rates of fertilization, implantation, and clinical pregnancy in the ANA+/anti-dsDNA+ group were the lowest, while the early miscarriage rate was the highest in the ANA+/anti-dsDNA+ group both in the fresh embryo transfer cycle and in the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle. Our data suggested that anti-dsDNA antibody may be the essential marker for defective oocytes or embryos in infertile women with any type of ANA.