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Biomedical subjects

W Foulon

Publications and source records attributed to W Foulon.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Recovery of microorganisms in semen and relationship to semen evaluation.

Semen samples from 120 consecutive unselected men attending our fertility clinic were studied to determine the bacterial isolation rate of semen and its influence on semen quality. Each sample was cultured aerobically, anaerobically, and for Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis. The following were analyzed for each semen specimen: motility, morphologic features, and number of sperm cells and viscosity of the ejaculate. Four of the 120 samples had negative results; 101 cultures yielded one or more aerobic organisms (the majority with less than 20,000 microorganisms/ml); 26 yielded anaerobic organisms; and 40 yielded U. urealyticum. No single aerobic or anaerobic organism could be related to abnormal semen samples. Only the presence of U. urealyticum correlated significantly with abnormal semen samples (P less than 0.005). The most affected parameters were the number of spermatozoa (P less than 0.005) and motility (P less than 0.05). We conclude that routine aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures of semen are not useful in the clinical evaluation of male infertility. The usefulness of routine screenings for U. urealyticum must be investigated further.

Bacteria, Aerobic↗
PubMed1986

Pathological pregnancies. Results of amniotic fluid studies and fetal outcome.

Late amniocenteses (greater than 20 weeks' gestation) were performed in 114 pregnancies with no a priori genetic risk, but referred because of abnormal clinical and/or ultrasound findings suggesting fetal malformations. Reasons for referral included polyhydramnios (51 cases), oligohydramnios (15 cases), fetal growth retardation (FGR) (16 cases) and abnormal fetal ultrasound findings excluding anencephaly (32 cases). In 42 of these cases, referral was motivated by a combination of the above abnormal findings. When polyhydramnios was the sole anomaly (25 cases), 5 fetuses were malformed (20%), abnormal fetal karyotype and/or elevated amniotic fluid alphafetoprotein (AFP) were demonstrated in 2 cases. Oligohydramnios was the sole anomaly in one case; the infant died of prematurity. Fetal growth retardation was the sole anomaly in 14 cases, 11 otherwise normal newborns were small for date, 2 died at birth and 1 was malformed (1/14, 7%). In this group all fetal karyotypes were normal and in 2 cases amniotic fluid AFP were increased. In the 32 pregnancies without abnormal amniotic fluid volume and/or FGR and with fetal malformation(s) suggested by ultrasound, all malformations except one (ovarian cyst possibly ruptured during birth) were confirmed at birth, amniotic fluid AFP was elevated, and/or karyotype was abnormal in 6 cases. In 42 pregnancies where more than one alarm sign was present, abnormal karyotype and/or elevated amniotic fluid AFP level were recorded in 21 of the 39 cases where amniocentesis was performed, 33 fetuses were malformed (79%) and 13 died in the perinatal period (31%). The high incidence of abnormal results of amniocentesis found in this survey of pathological pregnancies, particularly in those with multiple alarm signs, emphasizes the need for amniocentesis in these situations.

Congenital Abnormalities↗
PubMed1986

Chronic Ureaplasma urealyticum amnionitis associated with abruptio placentae.

Ureaplasma urealyticum is a common inhabitant of the lower genital tract of women. It is unclear whether or not the microorganism plays a role in provoking spontaneous abortion. Reported is a U urealyticum infection of placenta and amniotic fluid in an immunologically competent host resulting in abruptio placentae and spontaneous abortion during the second trimester of pregnancy. U urealyticum was isolated from peripheral maternal blood twice. Immunologic alterations, namely a transiently reversed OKT4/OKT8 rate and a decrease in immunoglobulin G levels, were detected in the patient. U urealyticum must be considered as a pathogen able to interfere with normal fetal development.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1985

Activated T-cells with suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype in acute Toxoplasma gondii infection.

The mononuclear cells in the peripheral blood of 17 adults with acute phase toxoplasmosis were characterized with monoclonal antibodies. The absolute number of lymphocytes was increased by the presence of high numbers of T-cells with a surface phenotype of T-cytotoxic/suppressor cells (OKT3+, OKT8+). Shortly after the onset of the infection these cells expressed activation antigens (OKT10+, OKIa+). These changes were more pronounced in patients with lymphadenopathy, but were also present in those without symptoms of the disease. The activation antigens disappeared in the first weeks after onset of the disease but the reversed OKT4/OKT8 ratio persisted for 2 to 4 months. It generally normalized in parallel with clinical recovery of the patients. In one patient, however, a reversed OKT4/OKT8 ratio was present for more than 1 year after the disappearance of the symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Congenital toxoplasmosis: a prospective survey in Brussels.

A prospective survey of antenatal patients was made at a hospital in Brussels over the period 1979-1982 to assess the incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis. Of 2986 patients assessed, 1403 (47%) had no toxoplasma antibodies and were at risk. The susceptible population was assessed every 6 weeks and 20 of these women (1.4%) seroconverted during pregnancy. Ten of the seroconverters had a therapeutic abortion; of the remaining 10 two gave birth to congenitally infected infants. Of the 1583 (53%) patients with a positive serology for toxoplasmosis initially, 17 (1.1%) had high antibody titres indicating that the infection could have taken place early in pregnancy. Nine infants born to these women were followed at our hospital and two of them were affected.

Adult↗