B. Daunter

Seminal plasma biochemistry I. Preliminary report: A possible mechanism for the liquefaction of human seminal plasma and its relationship to spermatozoal motility

Biochemie des Samen‐Plasmas I Vorläufige Mitteilung: Ein möglicher Mechanismus bei der Verflüssigung des humanen Samen‐Plasmas und seine Beziehung zur Spermatozoen‐Beweglichkeit

Post‐irradiation cytology of cervical cancer patients

The accuracy of cervicovaginal cytology following radiotherapy for cervical cancer is compromised by the anatomical and tissue changes resulting from irradiation. Collection of representative samples may be more difficult, and benign radiation changes, post‐irradiation dysplasia, and the frequent occurrence of repair cells and active stromal cells in post‐irradiation smears may cause diagnostic problems. Nevertheless, cytology is a valuable tool for the detection of locally recurrent cervical cancer. It is simple and economical to perform at the time of clinical follow‐up examination, and may detect occult tumour recurrence. Awareness of the cellular changes resulting from irradiation, and the varied composition of post‐irradiation smears may lead to more accurate interpretation of the cytological findings.

The accuracy of cervicovaginal cytology in the detection of recurrent cervical carcinoma following radiotherapy

The accuracy of cervicovaginal cytology testing in the detection of recurrent cervical carcinoma was investigated by correlating clinical and histology records with cytology smear results for two groups of patients. All patients had been treated with radiotherapy, with or without pelvic surgery, for carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Abnormal cervicovaginal smear results were present for 45.7% (32/70) of patients with histologically diagnosed recurrent cervical carcinoma including a correct prediction of recurrent cervical carcinoma in 32.8% (23/70) of cases. A cytologic diagnosis of recurrent carcinoma was present for 48.9% (23/47) of cases with local recurrence. The positive predictive value for a histologic diagnosis of recurrent cervical carcinoma after a positive cytology report for a group of 61 patients was estimated to be 98.4%. A cytologic diagnosis of locally recurrent cervical carcinoma preceded clinical signs in 15/61 (24.6%) of cases. These results indicate that although cervicovaginal cytology after radiotherapy for cervical cancer does not have high sensitivity it is a reliable test for the diagnosis of local recurrence. Cytologic examination of the vaginal vault or cervix after treatment may thus provide an early diagnosis of tumor recurrence or persistence, in some cases prior to the onset of clinical signs.

Osmolarity of Human Seminal Plasma

Summary: Osmolarity of human seminal plasma was found to be higher than that of human blood plasma. No significant relationship was found between osmolarity, spermatozoal concentration and liquefaction time. Osmolarity was shown to correlate with spermatozoal motility and optimum motility was observed between 360 and 380 mOsm.

A multiparametric approach to tumor markers detectable in serum in patients with carcinoma of the ovary or uterine cervix

Abstract A comparison of several serum tumor markers (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), sialyltransferase (ST), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), β 2 microglobulin ( β 2 M), γ-chain fetal hemoglobulin (HbF), immune complexes (ImCp), and spermine (Spm)) was made in patients with carcinoma of the ovary or cervix uteri and healthy control subjects. The greatest positive results were obtained with the markers LDH (40%) and β 2 M (46%) for patients with carcinoma of the cervix and ovary, respectively. However, based on false positive results, the most suitable single marker for patients with carcinoma of the cervix was Spm (30%). When a multiparametric approach was taken, a combination of four of the seven markers resulted in an increase in the positive results, that is, the cancer patients were positive for one of the four markers. This was 76% for patients with carcinoma of the cervix using the markers LDH, ST, Spm, and β 2 M and 79% for patients with carcinoma of the ovary using the markers ST, CEA, HbF, and β 2 M. All markers in both groups of cancer patients were elevated above control levels with the exception of ST which was decreased in patients with carcinoma of the ovary. ST, CEA, and HbF were found to be associated by multilinear regression analysis in the ovarian cancer group. As the ST approached normal levels CEA and HbF became elevated. Similarly there was a linear relationship between β 2 M and ImCp demonstrating positively at similar times.

Immune Complexes in Ovarian Cancer: Association between IgM Class Complexes and Antinuclear Autoantibodies in Ascitic Fluid

Samples of ascitic fluid from patients with ovarian cancer were analyzed for autoantibodies to nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens and for immune complexes (ICs) detectable by the Clq deviation and polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation (either IgG or IgM class) assays. The predominant autoantibody was antinuclear (ANA); this was detected in 29 of 58 samples (59% showing the homogeneous and 41% the speckled pattern). The antibody was not reactive to saline extractable nuclear antigens. A strong association between this autoantibody and the PEG-precipitated IgM class ICs was shown, suggesting the possible participation of this autoantibody in IgM class ICs formation. The lack of association between C1q-reactive and IgG class ICs and the autoantibodies indicates that the IgG class ICs may be more related to the tumor.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen and β2‐Microglobulin as Serum Tumor Markers in Women with Genital Cancer

A comparative study of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and β2‐microglobulin (β2‐MG) in serum was made by radioimmunoassay in 77 women with genital cancer. With a positive level defined as 5 ng of CEA/ml and 3.0 μg of β2‐MG/ml, CEA was positive in 31% of the women with cancer of the corpus, 36% of those with cancer of the cervix and 36% of those with cancer of the ovary; the corresponding figures for β2‐MG were 6%, 27% and 56%, respectively. The additional use of β2‐MG provided an increase in positive results, especially in cases of cancer of the ovary. A direct relationship between the extent of tumor and serum marker level was more evident for β2‐MG than CEA. There was no correlation between serial levels of CEA and β2‐MG in most patients. CEA levels appeared to predict subsequent tumor behavior more accurately in patients with good prognoses (ie, complete or partial tumor response), whereas β2‐MG levels gave the same prediction in those with bad prognoses (ie, nonresponsive or progressive tumor).

Lymphocyte response to plant mitogens

Cell-mediated immune response was measured by the uptake of tritiated thymidine by lymphocytes cultured in serum-free medium in the presence and absence of different doses of phytohemagglutinin-M (PHA). Four groups were studied: (i) healthy women (controls); (ii) pregnant women; (iii) patients with carcinoma of the cervix; (iv) patients with ovarian carcinoma. The cancer patients were studied before and after treatment which consisted of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. No significant difference in response was found in the controls in terms of the response to the different doses of PHA or between the controls and pregnant women. When the pregnant women were grouped according to trimester dates, variability in response was observed which was dependent on the dose of PHA used. However, there was a decreased response in the second trimester relative to the first and third trimester at different doses of PHA. The lymphocyte response of the cancer patients was depressed only at 5 μg/ml of PHA. The response before treatment was decreased relative to the response after treatment. After treatment the response of the patients with ovarian carcinoma was similar to the control value.

Seminal Plasma Biochemistry II Seminal Plasma and Spermatozoal Cytidine Monophosphate-Sialic Acid Synthetase and Sialyltransferase Activities

The zona pellucida receptor for spermatozoa has not been identified and the mechanism by which spermatozoa transferse the zona pellucida has not been elucidated. It is proposed that the zona pellucida receptor is a glycoprotein and the receptor per se is galactosamine or N‐acetyl galactosamine. The mechanism by which spermatozoa transverse the zona pellucida may be by its structural modification, by the transfer of spermatozoal sialic acid. In addition, male infertility resulting from oligozoospermia or polyzoospermia, may be due to lack of spermatozoal bound sialyltransferase.

Scanning electron microscopy and histological examination of human seminal plasma coagulum.

SEM‐ und lichtmikroskopische Untersuchung des menschlichen Sperma‐Coagulums