[The use of nutrient complexes in idiopathic male infertility associated with asteno- and/or teratozoospermia: the search of predictors of treatment efficiency (preliminary results)].

BACKGROUND: Nutrient complexes (dietary supplements) containing various vitamins, minerals, enzymes are popular substances for treatment of male infertility. However, the use of such complexes often does not lead to an improvement of ejaculate analysis and the restoration of fertility. AIM: To determine the predictors of efficiency of treatment with a complex of nutrients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An open, uncontrolled study which included 102 men from infertile couples aged 25-45 years with idiopathic asteno-, and/or teratozoospermia was conducted. All man received the complex of nutrients (4 capsules of 410 mg per day) containing L-arginine (720 mg), L-carnitine (240 mg), L-carnosine (92 mg), coenzyme Q10 (10 mg), glycyrrhetinic acid (6 mg), zinc (4,8 mg), vitamin (3,2 mg), vitamin (0,36 mg), selenium (0,034 mg), which is from 12% to 80% of recommended level of daily intake for these substances. The ejaculate analysis was done in accordance to WHO recommendations, including the assessment of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). RESULTS: After 3 months of treatment the proportion of sperm cells with progressive motility increased in 59% patients in the average by 4 % (<0.05) due to an increase in the proportion of rapidly progressive sperms with grade "A" motility by 4 % (<0,05) and a decrease in the proportion of non-progressive sperms (-2 %; <0.05). The improvement was more often observed in patients with baseline lower sperm motility (<0,05) and had phasic dependence on the ROS level. It was more pronounced (+24 % in relative values for motility "A"; <0.05) in patients with moderate elevation of ROS level (2-4 IU), and insignificant at the normal (< 2 IU) and marked elevated (4-7 >7 IU) ROS level. The standardized effect with an increase of ROS for motile spermatozoa of category A was 0.16, 0.47, 0.34 0.22, respectively, i.e., it was weak in all cases. The changes of sperm concentration and morphology were insignificant (>0.05), but the improvement of sperm morphology was more often observed in patients with pathologic forms greater than 95 % (<0.05). CONCLUSION: The increase in the proportion of sperm cells with progressive motility while taking nutrient complex had dependence on the baseline level of oxidative stress and it was more pronounced in patients with moderate elevation of ROS level. The further, more powerful studies to assess the influence of dietary of this supplement on the other ejaculate indicators.

[Determination of antibodies against cyclic citrullinated peptide in rheumatoid arthritis].

The ability of the synthetic peptide IMG-5, that reproduces one of the antigenic determinants of the protein filaggrin, to show antigenic activity was studied when anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (ACCPAb) to filaggrin were found in the serum samples of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The binding of IMG-5 to ACCPAb has been shown to be specific (dose-dependent and reversible). The serum samples from patients with RA, controls, and donors show a significant difference in the interaction of the synthetic peptide with ACCPAb (p < 0.005 and p < 0.0001, respectively). The level of IgM rheumatoid factor (RF) detected in patients with RA differs greatly from that in the controls. In the patients with RA versus the controls, the specificity of ACCPAb determination was as high as 87; and the sensitivity was 40.5%. When ACCPAbs were determined using the commercial kit CCP, the specificity and sensitivity were 94 and 47.3%, respectively. The specificity of RF detection was equal to 50% and the sensitivity was 70%. The sensitivity of the test using IMG-5 is a maximum in X-ray stage IRA (69.2%) and falls in its stage III (26.7%). On the contrary, the sensitivity of the commercial kit and RF determination increases from X-ray stage I (46.2 and 53.8%, respectively) to II (66.7 and 80%). The sensitivity of the used tests in varying RA activities has demonstrated that they are most effective in patients with moderate RA activity. The concurrent detection of ACCPAb and RF increases the probability of differentiating RA from other rheumatic diseases.

Detection of new epitopes of antibodies to filaggrin in filaggrin protein molecule.

Immunogenic characteristics of filaggrin protein molecule as an antigen for antibodies to filaggrin, markers of early rheumatoid arthritis, were studied. Two new peptide motives, possible epitopes for antibodies to filaggrin, were shown in the filaggrin molecule by predictive analysis using programmed algorithms. Only IMG-3 and its cyclic form IMG-4 exhibited antigenic reactivity with sera from rheumatoid arthritis patients, differing significantly from the reactivity with donor sera. The immunogenic characteristics of IMG-3 differed from the characteristics of a previously described epitope.