Correlation between Cytogenetic Findings and Spermatogenic Failure in Bulgarian Infertile Men.

The aim of our study was to determine the type and frequency of chromosomal aberrations and polymorphisms in men with different degrees of spermatogenic failure in comparison to men with normozoospermia, in order to find correlations between cytogenetic findings and the abnormal results of semen analysis. In our study, we performed cytogenetic analysis in 901 infertile men, divided into five groups according to semen analysis-normozoospermia (86), asthenozoospermia (394), oligoasthenozoospermia (182), severe male factor (100), and azoospermia (139). The frequency of polymorphisms was similar in all groups (11-16%, without significant differences). The frequency of numerical and structural aberrations increases with the degree of the spermatogenic failure (3.5% in normozoospermia, 5.6% in asthenozoospermia, 9.8% in oligoasthenozoospermia, 9% in severe male factor, and 13.5% in azoospermia). We found a significantly higher incidence of numerical chromosomal aberrations in severe male factor (7%) and azoospermia (9.3%). Oligoasthenozoospermia occured in 45% of cases with translocation, compared to 20% in the group with a normal karyotype. We revealed that chromosomal translocations are tightly associated with oligoasthenozoospermia, whereas numerical chromosomal aberrations-with severe male factor and azoospermia. The impact of chromosome polymorphisms on male infertility should be studied in greater detail.

First-trimester human decidua contains a population of mesenchymal stem cells.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether first-trimester human decidua contains multipotent stromal cells capable of differentiating into other cell lines. DESIGN: In vitro-cultured decidual stromal cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and induced to differentiate into osteogenic and adipogenic lineages, endothelial cells, and PRL-secreting mature decidual cells. SETTING: Research laboratory. PATIENT(S): Eight decidua samples were collected from healthy women aged 26-32 years undergoing elective vaginal surgical terminations of early pregnancy (8-10 gestational weeks). INTERVENTION(S): Cell suspensions from human decidual stromal cells were cultured at clonogenic concentrations and in bulk under differentiation conditions and analyzed for specific markers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Multipotent differentiation potential of decidual stromal cells. RESULT(S): Decidual stromal cells express the surface markers specific to cells of mesenchymal origin as analyzed by flow cytometry. A pool of the decidual stromal cells can be induced to differentiate into mature PRL-secreting decidual cells and into osteogenic, adipogenic, and endothelial cells expressing the corresponding specific markers. CONCLUSION(S): It is demonstrated for the first time that first-trimester human decidua contains multipotent mesenchymal stem cells that can be grown in vitro for prolonged periods, have clonogenic properties, can differentiate into different cell lineages, and express surface markers specific to mesenchymal stem cells.

HLA-G expression is up-regulated by progesterone in mesenchymal stem cells.

PROBLEM: Maternal immune response to fetal tissues is modified in such way that it favors the development of pregnancy. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, progesterone and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been identified as potent immunomodulatory agents in different experimental systems and the interactions between these three factors are studies in this paper. METHOD OF STUDY: Human MSCs are isolated from human adipose tissue, bone marrow and decidua are cultured in the presence of progesterone and the expression of HLA-G is followed-up at protein and mRNA levels. RESULTS: The MSCs cultured in the presence of progesterone express increased levels of both cell surface and cytoplasmic HLA-G when compared with the control MSCs. CONCLUSION: Progesterone up-regulates the expression by MSCs of HLA-G which is a major player in maintenance of the immune balance between the mother and the fetus. MSCs are newly detected targets of progesterone with well documented immunomodulatory activity.