Biomedical subjects

M S Bornman

Publications and source records attributed to M S Bornman.

71 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A comparative study of the EpiScreen kit and a conventional method for the determination of seminal alpha-glucosidase activity.

Low alpha-glucosidase activity in seminal plasma is a marker of epididymal obstruction. The criterion standard for determining activity is the epididymal specific method, whereby the neutral iso-enzyme, specifically produced by the epididymis, is measured. A kit that determines total alpha-glucosidase activity (neutral iso-enzyme and the acid iso-enzyme originating from the prostate) has become available. The objective of the laboratory-based study was to compare alpha-glucosidase activity values measured by both the EpiScreen and the epididymal specific method, to determine if the kit may provide reliable results to substitute the neutral iso-enzyme specific method in the routine clinical setting. The neutral iso-enzyme activity according to both methods was measured in seminal plasma of 23 post-vasectomy and 24 normozoospermic patients. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were found between the activities measured according to both methods, but these differences pertained mostly to high values (> 40 mU ejaculate-1), which was not clinically significant. In conclusion, the epididymal specific method is best suited for research purposes, but the EpiScreen kit is convenient for routine use in infertility clinics.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

alpha-Glucosidase, sperm ATP concentrations, and epididymal function.

It has been suggested that alpha-glucosidase may be a marker of epididymal patency and function. Spermatozoal ATP concentrations decrease during passage through the epididymis, indicating efficient maturation. We correlated sperm motility with seminal plasma alpha-glucosidase activity and spermatozoal ATP. The sperm motility correlation with alpha-glucosidase activity was significantly positive, and the sperm motility correlation with spermatozoal ATP was significantly negative. It appears that high-alpha-glucosidase activity and low-spermatozoal ATP were present in semen with good sperm motility and could possibly indicate efficient epididymal function.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

High seminal sialic acid concentrations in patients with severe teratozoospermia.

Seminal plasma and sperm-bound sialic acid (SA) concentrations were evaluated in patients with severe teratozoospermia (less than 5% morphologically normal sperm) and correlated with values of a control group with greater than 20% morphologically normal sperm. The SA concentrations both in seminal plasma and on sperm were significantly higher in teratozoospermia, but the ratio of sperm-bound SA to seminal plasma SA remained virtually the same. The causes and consequences of high SA in these patients need further study.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Syphilis serology in men attending the Andrology Clinic at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital.

The worldwide resurgence of syphilis may have serious implications on neonatal morbidity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of syphilis in men attending an infertility clinic. Blood samples from 782 males were screened using the titrated RPR and TPHA tests. If either of these tests was positive, FTA-ABs IgG was performed. The RPR was positive in 63 (8%) cases. In 24 (3%) patients the titer was 1:8 with positive TPHA and FTA-Abs IgG tests and these were regarded as current infections. Thirty-nine (4.9%) cases had RPR titers 1:8 with positive specific tests. These were probably patients either treated inadequately or in the early stage of primary syphilis. In addition, 92 (12%) patients were RPR negative but TPHA and FTA positive. This was evidence of previous exposure to syphilis. The overall seropositivity in this group was 20% (155 cases). Six hundred and twenty-seven (80%) tested negative with RPR and TPHA. Syphilis may still have a major impact on health in Southern Africa. Since syphilis is significantly associated with HIV seropositivity, efforts to prevent and control syphilis may also be important in limiting the spread of HIV.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differential sperm motility scoring and sperm ATP concentrations.

Sperm motility is one of the most important parameters in semen analysis. In this study the motility scoring method of Hellinga was used. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy source used by the sperm flagellum to initiate and propagate forward motility. This study was conducted to evaluate the interrelationships between sperm ATP and differential motility. The differential motility method supplemented the conventional by which the quantitative and qualitative motility were estimated. There was a good correlation between the differential motility scoring method and sperm [ATP], although the latter did not necessarily improve the diagnostic capacity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Epididymal markers in an andrology clinic.

The ability of the markers alpha-glucosidase, carnitine, and glycerylphosphorylcholine to indicate epididymal obstruction was studied. alpha-Glucosidase was found to be the best discriminant, with 93.4% correct classifications. The possible interrelationship between alpha-glucosidase activity, sperm ATP, and epididymal function was then studied. alpha-Glucosidase correlated positively with the percentage of motile sperm (p = 0.0212) and with the percentage of sperm with good forward progression (p = 0.0374), but correlated negatively with the sperm ATP (p < 0.0500). It was concluded that lower ATP and higher alpha-Glucosidase may be markers of efficient epididymal function. The possible epididymal origin of detached ciliary tufts (DCTs) was studied by determining ATP and alpha-glucosidase activity in patients with DCTs. The mean ATP in patients with DCTs was significantly higher (p = 0.009), but the alpha-glucosidase activity significantly lower (p = 0.0412) than in the control group. These results seem to support the epididymal origin of DCTs.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sialic acid concentration and sperm motility.

Sialic acid (SA) forms an integral part of the sperm membrane, and the masking properties of SA are well documented. Masking of estrogen and melatonin receptors on the sperm midpiece by SA has been demonstrated. In this paper we report on the correlation of sperm bound SA concentration and motility. We found a negative correlation between the spermbound SA concentration and both the quantitative and qualitative motility. The spermbound SA correlated positively although not significantly with the spermatozoal ATP concentration. SA may mask the receptors on the sperm membrane, affecting sperm metabolism. This will inhibit the breakdown of ATP to its lower nucleotides resulting in poor motility. This may be another reason to believe that SA may play a key role in sperm motility.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sperm adenosine triphosphate concentrations before and after freezing as a marker of cryolysis.

Frozen semen samples are generally used today for artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) and have various advantages above freshly produced semen. A disadvantage is that substances may leak out of the sperm if the membrane is damaged during freezing. In this study sperm ATP concentration was determined before freezing and after thawing and correlated with fertilization in an IVF program. After freezing and thawing the average sperm motility decreased significantly (p < or = .0001). Sperm ATP concentration was also significantly lower after freezing and thawing (p = .0004). Sperm ATP concentration after thawing did not correlated with fertilization. ATP concentration was a good marker of cryolysis but not of fertilization.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Observations in infertile African males at an andrology clinic in South Africa.

The major cause of infertility among black Africans is traditionally attributed to a female factor and few reports are available on the male factor. This study analyzed the clinical and seminal data obtained from a population of 1726 suspected infertile African men evaluated from July 1985 to June 1991. The possible cause of infertility was judged on the results of first semen analysis. Of these men, 49% were secondarily infertile and 36% had previously received treatment for a urethral discharge. Varicocoeles were present in 183 cases (11%) and 11% had serological evidence of previous exposure to syphilis. Azoospermia was present in 152 patients (9%), 5% had polizoospermia, 45% had hypospermia (< 2 mL) and 9% (> 6 mL) had hyperspermia. In 70% of patients a possible contributing male factor for infertility was found. It would appear that the male factor contributed significantly to infertility, and evaluation of the black African male can therefore be regarded as a rewarding venture.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in WGA-lectin binding sites on sperm during epididymal transit in the Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus) and the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops).

Epididymal maturation of sperm entails molecular changes to the sperm plasma membrane. These changes are reflected by changes in lectin binding. The wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin was used, since it binds to acetylglucosamine and sialic acid, which are involved in sperm function. The objective was to study changes in WGA-lectin binding during epididymal passage and in the ejaculate of the Chacma baboon and vervet monkey. The intensity and location of lectin binding on sperm from the ejaculate and the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymidis of 5 adult males from each species were studied. In both baboon and monkey sperm, the acrosomal region had the highest intensity stain and the equatorial region had the lowest intensity. Significant differences in staining of the different regions of sperm were found for the different epididymal sites and the ejaculate of both species. It was concluded that changes in the molecular composition of the sperm membrane, taking place during epididymal maturation, can at least in part be monitored by studying WGA-lectin binding on sperm. The changes noted are probably important for the organization of a membrane of the correct molecular conformation and mandatory for complete sperm function.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sialic acid in semen of normozoospermic men.

Good sperm motility in normozoospermic men was associated with high bound and total sialic acid (SA) and pyruvate concentrations in the seminal plasma, as well as high endogenous (sperm) pyruvate concentrations. The presence of sialidase in the seminal plasma was also demonstrated for the first time. The results suggest that SA is metabolized to pyruvate by a N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA)-aldolase in the seminal plasma and that pyruvate subsequently serves as an energy source for sperm.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Multicenter study on reproducibility of sperm morphology assessments.

Sperm morphology has always been considered an important tool in evaluating a man's fertilizing potential. The objective of this multicentric study was to evaluate intra- and interindividual variability and between-laboratory variation using the same or different criteria of sperm morphology assessment. Semen samples were obtained from 20 males and 32 smears were made of all samples. Eighty coded smears (4 per patient) were sent to 8 laboratories for morphology assessment. The centers applied different classification systems (strict criteria, WHO 1987, Düsseldorf criteria) and participants were asked to analyze the 80 smears twice, with an interval of 1 week between each participant's two analyses. Intraclass correlations between repeats showed that sperm morphology can be assessed with acceptable within observer reproducibility. Expected increases in imprecision were observed up to coefficients of variation of >30% with decreasing morphology scores, regardless of the classification system used. Agreement in correct classification of samples as normal/abnormal was obtained in 80% of cases. Differences in reproducibility between slides may reflect an important source of heterogeneity due to smear preparation. These results emphasize the importance of external quality control systems to improve the value of sperm morphology assessments in the investigation of the male partner in a subfertile couple.

Fertilization in Vitro↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Chlamydial infection in asymptomatic infertile men attending an andrology clinic.

Urethral swabs, first-catch urine or urine collected at least 2 h after the previous micturition, and semen swabs were collected from 131 asymptomatic men during the routine workup for infertility at the andrology clinic at Ga-Rankuwa Hospital, Medunsa. The urethral and seminal swabs were used for enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (IDEIA III), tissue culture, and direct immunofluorescent antibody (DFA) test (IMAGEN) to detect Chlamydia trachomatis, and similarly the urine was tested by EIA. In 82/131 (62.6%) cases all tests for chlamydiae were negative and in 49/131 (37.4%) cases at least one test was positive. Tissue culture detected 24/131 (18.3%) as positive for C. trachomatis. Urethral swab EIA detected 33/131 (25.2%) and DFA 34/131 (26%) positive patients. Urine EIA was positive in 33/131 cases (25.2%). Semen EIA was positive in 35/131 (26.7%) of cases of whom 7/131 (5.3%) were positive in semen EIA only (all samples were conformed by PCR). It would seem, therefore, that testing for the presence of chlamydia was incomplete if semen samples were not included. The positivity in only semen samples raises the possibility that the organisms are harbored in the epididymis, seminal vesicles, or the prostate.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical features of patients with detached ciliary tufts in semen.

Cilia in the male genital tract are found on the epithelium of the ductuli efferentes, epididymis and vas deferens. Detached ciliary tufts (DCTs) were observed in semen of 13 men and this paper deals with the clinical features of these patients. There was a high incidence of smoking (73%), diminished testicular volume in 64%, a high number with previous urological surgery and trauma and an increased percentage of cytoplasmic droplets. It is postulated that DCTs originate from the epididymal ephithelium. DCTs are possibly shedded as part of epididymal involvement which occurs as a result of testicular pathology caused by several agents.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of semen processing on sperm morphology.

Semen samples were obtained from 28 infertile men referred for AIH. The percentage morphologically normal sperm was assessed on Papanicolaou stained smears before and after semen processing. The percentage of normal sperm increased significantly (p less than 0.005). It would seem that the semen processing procedure increased the number of morphologically normal sperm, which could theoretically improve the results of AIH.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Melatonin and steroid-dependent carcinomas.

In this study the concentrations of plasma melatonin in patients with either prostatic or breast carcinoma were compared to the levels of controls. The mean melatonin was statistically lower in patients with breast cancer as compared to controls (p less than 0.005). In prostatic carcinoma patients, the mean melatonin was statistically higher than in the control group (p less than 0.005). From the results it would seem that low melatonin levels could possibly play a role in breast carcinoma, but the same did not necessarily applied to prostatic cancer.

Androgens↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Melatonin and sperm motility.

Several substances can interfere with microtubular function eg. colchicine. Melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland has similar effects as colchicine on microtubules. In this study melatonin levels were determined in both plasma and seminal plasma of patients with good or impaired motility and forward progression. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean plasma and seminal plasma values of patients with good or impaired motility and forward progression. There was no correlation between seminal plasma melatonin and impaired motility or any other semen parameter. There was also no correlation between plasma and seminal plasma concentrations of melatonin. High seminal plasma melatonin concentrations were not necessarily associated with impaired sperm motility. From these it is concluded that seminal plasma melatonin plays no important role in sperm motility.

Humans↗