Increased Risk of Infertility in Women Infected with Human Papillomavirus.

Background: Among several causes of infertility, urogenital infections seem to be influencing factors. The effect of bacterial or viral sexually transmitted infections (STIs) on human fertility is not well understood. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of STIs in cervical samples of infertile and fertile women and study the relationship between these agents and infertility. Methods: In this case-control study, cytobrush was used for collecting of cervical sample from each infertile and fertile woman (n=95) who attended Research and Clinical Centers for Infertility in Kerman, Iran. PCR and real-time PCR methods were used to detect the presence of bacterial (genital Ureaplasma species, genital Mycoplasma species, Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis), and Gardnerella vaginalis) and viral (herpes simplex virus, human papillomavirus (HPV), and Epstein-Barr virus) agents, respectively. Fisher's exact test and the logistic regression with the significance level of ≤5% were used for statistical analyses. Results: In general, 78.94% and 14.73% of specimens were positive for one or more studied microorganisms, respectively. Among studied agents, only the infection with HPV was significantly different between infertile and fertile groups (p=0.005) which may enhance the likelihood of female infertility (OR=5.30, 95% CI:1.47-19.11, p< 0.05). After adjusting for age, irregular menstrual cycle, abnormal vaginal discharge, and ectopic pregnancy, the odds ratio of infertility in HPV-infected women increased (OR=7.02, 95% CI:1.52-32.3, p<0.05). Conclusion: Since HPV infection is asymptomatic, periodic screening of women in reproductive age especially infertile couples is recommended for early diagnosis and prevention of infection progression and cross contamination.

Isolation and molecular identification of mycoplasma genitalium from the secretion of genital tract in infertile male and female.

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasmas can cause acute and chronic diseases at multiple sites with wide-range complications and have been implicated as cofactors in diseases. The infections influenced form genital mycoplasmas specifically Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium potentially affect reproductive disorders, and infertility. OBJECTIVE: Isolation and molecular identification of Mycoplasma genitalium from the genital tract of infertile male and vaginal discharge of infertile female referred to Infertility Center of Kerman in 2013. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a randomized, prospective study. We included 100 infertile male and 100 infertile female that were referred to the Infertility Center of Kerman. Then for isolation and molecular identification of Mycoplasma genitalium from urethral and vaginal discharge polymerase chain reaction was performed on Mycoplasma genus and genitalium. RESULTS: From a total of 100 semen samples 45 patients (45%) were mycoplasma-positive and 13 (28.8%) were genitalium species positive. Also, from a total of 100 women samples 43 women (43%) were mycoplasma-positive and 10 (23.2%) were genitalium species positive. Positive samples were sequenced and phylogenetic tree was drawn. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, a high percentage of infertile male and female were infected with the Mycoplasma genitalium. For prevention of harmful and significant consequences of this infection, we suggest a screening program in symptomatic infertile couples.

Exfoliative cytology of oral mucosa among smokers, opium addicts and non-smokers: a cytomorphometric study.

BACKGROUND: The present study was conducted to evaluate keratinization as well as nuclear and cytoplasmic changes of oral epithelial cells among smokers, opium addicts and non-smokers through exfoliative cytology technique. METHODS: Smears of buccal mucosa and mouth floor were collected from 300 males (100 smokers, 100 opium addicts and 100 non-smokers). The nucleus and cytoplasm sizes were determined using image analysis software. Data was analyzed with Mann-Whitney test and Student's t-test on SPSS version 13 statistical software. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. RESULTS: The results revealed statistically significant differences in cellular and nuclear size and the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio between smokers, opium addicts and non-smokers in different age groups. The mean size of the nucleus compared to that of cytoplasm was significantly higher in smokers and opium addicts compared to non-smokers after correction for age. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate different rates of epithelial cell keratinization in oral cavity among smokers, opium addicts and non-smokers. Also, our results suggest a possible relationship between the number of cigarettes per day, daily opium consumption and an increase in the rate of cellular proliferation of oral mucosal cells. The present study indicated a decrease in cellular diameter as well as an increase in nuclear diameter and nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio in smears taken from both smokers and opium addicts compared to non-smokers.