Prune-belly syndrome diagnosed at 14 weeks' gestation with severe urethral obstruction but normal kidneys

A fetus was diagnosed with prune-belly syndrome (PBS) found by ultrasound demonstration of cystomegaly at 12 weeks' gestation. Fetal urinary electrolyte and beta2-microglobulin concentrations at 14 weeks' gestation indicated a poor renal prognosis. The pregnancy was therefore terminated. An autopsy showed defects of the abdominal wall muscles and megalocystis caused by severe urethral obstruction. However, the kidneys were histologically normal. Together with previous reports, the present case suggests that renal dysplasia in PBS with severe uretheral obstruction may develop after 14 weeks' gestation. We discuss the possibility of preventing the development of renal dysplasia in PBS by early prenatal decompression of the obstructed fetal urinary tract.

Effect of the growth rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents: beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones

The growth rate of biofilm bacteria of a leucine-requiring mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa HU1 was regulated by the leucine concentration in a chemically-defined medium. The semiquantitative measurement of glycocalyx and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the kinetics of HU1-biofilm formation were dependent on the incubation time and the leucine concentration in the medium. The effect of the growth rate of biofilm cells on their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, three beta-lactams and four fluoroquinolones, was evaluated. beta-Lactams showed weak bactericidal activity to biofilm cells; the activity was greater in younger biofilm cells growing in high concentrations of leucine. Fluoroquinolones revealed strong bactericidal activity to biofilm bacteria regardless of the growth rate. The following is suggested: the bactericidal action of beta-lactams against biofilm cells is affected by the cell growth rate, while that of fluoroquinolones is considerably greater and independent on the growth rate.

Intracerebroventricular infusion of nerve growth factor in three patients with Alzheimer's disease

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is important for the survival and maintenance of central cholinergic neurons, a signalling system impaired in Alzheimer's disease. We have treated 3 patients with Alzheimer's disease with a total of 6.6 mg NGF administered continuously into the lateral cerebral ventricle for 3 months in the first 2 patients and a total of 0.55 mg for 3 shorter periods in the third patient. The patients were extensively evaluated with clinical, neuropsychological, neurophysiological and neuroradiological techniques. Three months after the NGF treatment ended, a significant increase in nicotine binding was found in several brain areas in the first 2 patients and in the hippocampus in the third patient as studied by positron emission tomography. A clear cognitive amelioration could not be demonstrated, although a few neuropsychology tests showed slight improvements. The amount of slow-wave cortical activity as studied by electroencephalography was reduced in the first 2 patients. Two negative side effects occurred with NGF treatment: first, a dull, constant back pain was observed in all 3 patients, which in 1 patient was aggravated by axial loading resulting in sharp, shooting pain of short duration. When stopping the NGF infusion, the pain disappeared within a couple of days. Reducing the dose of NGF lessened the pain. Secondly, a marked weight reduction during the infusion with a clear weight gain after ending the infusion was seen in the first 2 patients. We conclude from this limited trial that, while long-term intracerebroventricular NGF administration may cause certain potentially beneficial effects, the intraventricular route of administration is also associated with negative side effects that appear to outweigh the positive effects of the present protocol. Alternative routes of administration, and/or lower doses of NGF, perhaps combined with low doses of other neurotrophic factors, may shift this balance in favor of positive effects.

Long-term tacrine treatment in three mild Alzheimer patients: effects on nicotinic receptors, cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, EEG, and cognitive abilities

The effect of long-term treatment with tacrine (tetrahydroaminoacridine) was studied in three Alzheimer patients (aged 57, 64, and 68 years) with mild dementia. All three patients had a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 24/30 and carried at least one apolipoprotein E (ApoE) epsilon4 allele. Tacrine was given in doses between 80 and to 160 mg daily for 13-31 months. A lower tacrine concentration was observed generally in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) compared with plasma. The acetylcholinesterase activity in CSF tended to be increased following longer periods of tacrine treatment, whereas the butyrylcholinesterase activity was decreased. The three patients repeatedly underwent positron emission tomography investigation of cerebral blood flow, nicotinic receptors, cerebral glucose metabolism, and electroencephalogram (EEG) and cognitive tests. Positive influences on these parameters were observed following both short-term and long-term treatment with tacrine. Improvement of nicotinic receptors (measured as 11C-nicotine binding), cerebral blood flow, EEG, and some cognitive tests (trail making test, block design test) occurred earlier after initiation of tacrine treatment compared with the glucose metabolism, which was increased after several months of tacrine treatment. An improvement in attention (trail making test) was observed following tacrine as sign for frontal lobe activation (EEG). The functional effects of tacrine in Alzheimer patients appeared to be related to both dose and length of cholinesterase inhibitor treatment.

Relationship between human in-vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection and the zona-free hamster egg penetration test

The zona-free hamster egg penetration test (HEPT) is widely used for evaluating the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa. However, the relationship between the HEPT and microassisted fertilization has yet to be determined. To evaluate the efficiency of HEPT in selecting the most appropriate method of in-vitro fertilization (IVF), including intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in couples with male factor infertility, clinical laboratory data was analysed retrospectively. The patients were divided into groups according to the sperm penetration index as determined by the HEPT: group A (sperm penetration index = 0), group B (sperm penetration index < 15) and group C (sperm penetration index > or = 15). A total of 405 oocytes were collected and inseminated by conventional methods in 69 couples with male factor infertility. In all, 31 out of 148 (20.9%) oocytes fertilized in group A; 35 out of 117 (29.9%) in group B; and 73 of 140 (52.1%) in group C. The clinical pregnancy rates per transfer in groups A, B and C were 0% (0/13), 0% (0/14) and 25.9% (7/27) respectively. Both the fertilization rate and pregnancy rate in group C was significantly higher than in groups A and B. ICSI was carried out in a total of 57 couples and 334 oocytes in metaphase II stage were manipulated. The normal fertilization (2 pronuclear) rate per oocyte was 65.6 +/- 26.0% (mean +/- SD). Out of 127 oocytes, 76 (59.8%) fertilized in group A, 57 out of 87 oocytes (65.5%) in group B and 86 out of 120 oocytes (71.7%) in group C. Of the 56 transfers, 17 clinical pregnancies were obtained, giving an average pregnancy rate of 30.4% per transfer. The clinical pregnancy rates per transfer in groups A, B and C were 17.4% (4/23), 40.0% (4/10) and 39.1% (9/23) respectively. No significant differences were observed in the fertilization rates or in the pregnancy rates between the three groups. In addition, there were no differences in the fertilization and pregnancy rates between the ICSI and IVF patients in group C. These findings suggest that the results of the HEPT are well correlated with the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa in the patients treated by conventional IVF. Couples suffering from male factor infertility with a sperm penetration index of < 15 (as determined by HEPT) should consider treatment with ICSI, while those with a sperm penetration index of > or = 15 should attempt conventional IVF.

Diurnal variation of peak expiratory flow in children with cough variant asthma

Cough variant asthma (CVA) is thought to be a variant form of asthma in which cough is the sole clinical manifestation of airways hyperresponsiveness, a characteristic feature of asthma. Another characteristic feature of asthma includes an increased diurnal variation of peak expiratory flow (PEF) compared to normal subjects. To examine whether diurnal variation of PEF might also increase in children with CVA, we have examined the degree of diurnal variation of PEF in these children (n = 7) by measuring peak flow serially for a week, and compared it with those in mild to moderate asthma (n = 17) and in control children without cough (n = 8). In control children without cough, the average value of the mean diurnal variation of PEF was 10.4 +/- 0.8%. In both groups of children with asthma and with CVA, there was a significant increase in the value (20.5 +/- 1.3% and 23.6 +/- 3.6%, respectively) compared to that in control children (p < 0.01 in both groups), although there was no significant difference between these 2 groups. These results show that mild, but significant airway obstruction is occurring in children with CVA, although clinical wheezing is not recognized. Serial measurements of diurnal variation of PEF may be helpful for the diagnosis of CVA in children.

Ultrafast CT scoring system for assessing bronchopulmonary dysplasia: reproducibility and clinical correlation

PURPOSE

To evaluate the reproducibility of the Ultrafast CT (UFCT) scoring system and assess its usefulness in monitoring clinical severity in infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

UFCT scoring was done in 22 infants (15 boys and 7 girls aged 1 to 37 months) with BPD. A total of 258 lung fields were evaluated for the presence of hyperaeration, linear opacities, triangular subpleural opacities, and bronchovascular bundle distortion or thickening, and UFCT scores were given. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement and reproducibility of UFCT scores were statistically analyzed. In 12 patients, UFCT scores were linearly correlated with clinical severity scores based on respiratory dysfunction and complexity of care.

RESULTS

"Hyperaeration," which was the most frequent (18 of 22, 81.8%) finding, showed high concordance (kappa = 0.73, p < 0.001, kappa = 0.59, p < 0.001), and its UFCT scores significantly correlated with intraobserver and interobserver analyses (r = 0.94, p < 0.001, r = 0.82, p < 0.001, respectively). UFCT scores for hyperaeration significantly correlated with clinical scores (r = 0.75, p < 0.01), whereas those for the others did not.

CONCLUSION

UFCT is useful for assessing BPD. Hyperaeration was the most common and reproducible finding, and its extent significantly correlated with clinical severity.

Quantitative electro-oculography and electroencephalography as indices of alertness

Even though both electro-oculography (EOG) and EEG have been widely used for assessing alertness, the relationship between these two measures has not yet been clarified at various alertness levels. We estimated the frequencies of eye movements faster than 15 degrees/s (NoEM15) and EEG power at every 0.5 Hz step frequency point, quantitatively as well as continuously from alert to very light sleep (Stage 1) in 14 healthy adults. We devised a new EOG derivation for a computerized analysis, because conventional EOG recordings suffer from EEG contamination and have been analyzed manually. EOG electrodes were attached to the left orbitale in this study. The eye movements were detected as peaks in differentiated EOG signals. Significant correlations were found between NoEM15 and EEG powers at several frequency points, mainly in the alpha and beta bands. Though fluctuating EEG components in close correspondence to the frequency of the eye movements varied depending on the individual, EEG power at the peak frequency of the awake state was most closely associated with the eye movements. A broad band power that centers at the peak frequency may be a better measure for alertness assessment than powers in fixed bands.

Lysinuric protein intolerance and systemic lupus erythematosus

We report lysinuric protein intolerance (LPI) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a 14-year-old girl. The co-existence of LPI and SLE in the same patient has been reported before and suggests that SLE is directly connected with LPI.

CONCLUSION

Possibly in LPI the metabolic derangement can cause immunological abnormalities. Therefore, when multisystem involvement is observed in LPI patients, SLE should be considered as a rare complication.

EEG slowing and cerebrospinal fluid tau levels in patients with cognitive decline

We explored the relationship between cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau levels as indirect markers of tau-related pathology in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and EEG slowing, a typical neurophysiological finding in the disease. A positive correlation between CSF tau levels and ratio of alpha/delta global field power was found in 14 AD patients (r = 0.65, p = 0.01). This relationship was better approximated by polynomial fit of 2nd degree (p = 0.002). A subgroup of AD patients (n = 7) with higher tau levels and shorter duration of illness showed a strong relationship between CSF tau levels and alpha/theta (r = 0.83, p = 0.02), and alpha/delta (r = 0.87, p = 0.01) ratios of the global field power. There were no significant correlations between EEG slowing and CSF tau levels in 12 patients with mild cognitive dysfunction or in 14 healthy control subjects. That a strong inverse linear correlation exists in AD patients with higher levels of tau and shorter duration of illness may imply that with longer illness duration CSF tau levels decrease due to neuronal death.

[Sero-negative tsutsugamushi disease (scrub typhus) diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction]

We report a case of sero-negative tsutsugamushi disease diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A 54-year-old man who worked in Nagano prefecture presented with flu-like symptoms that did not respond to cephalosporin therapy. On admission to another hospital, chest roentgenography revealed abnormal shadows; liver dysfunction was also present. Despite therapy, the patient's condition gradually worsened and he was transferred to our intensive care unit. Erythema on all extremities and scabs on the right medial femoral region and the dorsum of the left foot suggested a diagnosis of tsutsugamushi disease. We administered minocycline and gave percutaneous cardiopulmonary support for adult respiratory distress syndrome. Despite all efforts, the patient died. Although serologic tests were not positive, Karp strains of R. tsutsugamuschi were identified on PCR amplification. Autopsy revealed evidence of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis, which has not been reported previously in tsutsugamushi disease. We conclude that PCR techniques may be useful in confirming a diagnosis of early tsutsugamushi disease.

Global dimensional complexity of multichannel EEG in mild Alzheimer's disease and age-matched cohorts

Multichannel EEG as sequence of momentary brain field maps constitutes a trajectory through K-dimensional state space (K = number of channels); the complexity of this trajectory is assessed by the nonlinear measure of global correlation dimension (Global Dimensional Complexity, GDC) with the number of electrodes as embedding dimension. We analyzed eyes-closed EEG of three age-matched subject groups: mild Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 21), mild cognitive impairment (29) and subjective memory complaint (29). Kruskal-Wallis statistics showed an overall effect between groups. AD patients differed significantly (GDC = 4.56) from mild cognitive impairments (GDC = 4.98) and from subjective memory complaints (GDC = 4.93). GDC also had significant positive correlations with mental condition and performance (MMSE and WAIS-R scores). Thus, the dynamics of brain state development over time in mild AD differs from that in mild cognitive impairment and in subjective memory complaint cases.

Permeation of antimicrobial agents through Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms: a simple method

In this study, we evaluated the permeation of piperacillin (PIPC), imipenem (IPM), amikacin (AKM), gentamicin (GM), ofloxacin (OFLX), levofloxacin (LVFX), ciprofloxacin (CPFX) and sparfloxacin (SPFX) through Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm with a simple new method. Bacteria used were a leucine-requiring mucoid mutant. Bacteria were grown on the membrane of a cell culture insert in chemically defined medium and incubated at 37 degrees C for 5 days. At days 0, 1, 3 and 5, the penetration rates through the biofilms were measured. PIPC and IPM demonstrated relatively high permeation both with penetration rates at day 5 of 50%, whereas AMK and GM, which are aminoglycosides, showed low permeation both with penetration rates after day 1 of less than 25%. Among the 4 fluoroquinolones, LVFX and SPFX demonstrated excellent permeation with penetration rates that reached 100% from day 0 to 5, while OFLX and CPFX showed almost the same permeation as IPM. This method of measuring penetration rates of antimicrobial agents through biofilm is very simple and useful for the evaluation of antibiotics against biofilm-forming bacteria.

Apolipoprotein E epsilon4 allele decreases functional connectivity in Alzheimer's disease as measured by EEG coherence

OBJECTIVES

The epsilon4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) represents a major biological risk factor for late onset Alzheimer's disease. However, it is still not known whether the APOE genotype affects the progression of the disease, assessed by different functional methods.

METHODS

The study sample included 41 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease. Subjects had similar severity of disease, age of onset, and duration of illness, and were subcategorised according to their APOE genotypes: 17 with no epsilon4 allele, 14 with one epsilon4 allele, and 10 with two epsilon4 alleles. The control group consisted of 18 healthy subjects comparable with the patients in age and education. Analysed quantitative EEG (qEEG) variables were the ratio of alpha and theta absolute power and EEG coherence in alpha frequency band, representing major cortical association pathways.

RESULTS

There was pronounced EEG slowing in all three patient subgroups compared with the controls for the alpha/theta ratio, but there was no significant difference across the patient subgroups. Patients homozygous for the APOE epsilon4 allele had reduced right and left temporoparietal, right temporofrontal, and left occipitoparietal coherence. Patients without and with one epsilon4 allele showed an overlap between the control group and group with two epsilon4 alleles in coherence measures.

CONCLUSIONS

APOE epsilon4 does not influence EEG slowing, an index which reflects severity of the disease in patients with Alzheimer's disease, but seems to be associated with selective decreases in functional connectivity as assessed by EEG coherence. This finding might be of clinical importance when considering different pathogenetic mechanisms.

Evaluation of sperm fertilizing ability using the Sperm Quality Analyzer

The Sperm Quality Analyzer is an inexpensive device which provides a quantitative estimation of sperm motility. To evaluate the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa using a Sperm Quality Analyzer, correlations amongst the sperm motility index, the sperm penetration index (as assessed using the sperm penetration assay; SPA), and the fertilization rate in the treatment of standard IVF-ET were analysed retrospectively. The sperm motility index demonstrated a significant correlation with sperm concentration (p < 0.001), sperm motility (p < 0.001) and the motile sperm concentration (p < 0.001) in a total of 104 fresh semen samples from 81 men donating samples for IVF-ET. The sperm motility index also showed a significant correlation (p < 0.001) with the sperm penetration index in 60 patients, assessed using the SPA, before they were treated by standard IVF-ET. The correlation between the sperm motility index and the IVF-ET fertilization rate was higher than that between the sperm penetration index and the fertilization rate. The sperm motility index was classified into three categories: 'poor' (sperm motility index < 80), 'medium' (sperm motility index 81-160) and 'good' (sperm motility index > 160). The relationships between the IVF-ET fertilization rate and each category of the sperm motility index values were also evaluated. For the three categories in the sperm motility index, the fertilization rates (76.0%) of 60 samples judged as 'good' were significantly higher than those (44.2%) of 15 samples judged as 'medium' (p < 0.001) and those (34.7%) of 13 samples judged as 'poor' (p < 0.001). These results indicate that the Sperm Quality Analyzer provides a reliable estimation of the fertilizing ability of human spermatozoa.

Effect of the growth rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms on the susceptibility to antimicrobial agents

The growth rate of biofilm cells of a leucine-requiring mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa HU1 was regulated by the leucine concentration in the chemically defined medium, and the effect of the growth rate of biofilm cells on the antimicrobial activities of the antimicrobial agents piperacillin (PIPC), imipenem (IPM) and ofloxacin (OFLX) were evaluated. PIPC showed little effect on the biofilm bacteria regardless of the leucine concentration in the medium. IPM showed weak bactericidal activity to biofilm cells; activity was greater in younger biofilm cells growing in high concentrations of leucine. On the other hand, OFLX revealed strong bactericidal activity to biofilm bacteria regardless of the growth rate. Our data suggest that the bactericidal action of antimicrobial agents to biofilm bacteria is different from that to planktonic bacteria. The bioassay using mutants with regulated growth is useful for the evaluation of the efficacy of antimicrobial agents against biofilm bacteria.

Horseshoe kidney with retrocaval ureter and ureteropelvic junction obstruction: a case report

We report a rare disorder, horseshoe kidney accompanied by retrocaval ureter and ureteropelvic junction obstruction, in a 42-year-old man. This is the third case in the world literature.

Effect of inhaled indomethacin on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children with asthma

We evaluated the effect of inhaled indomethacin, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), on exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in children with asthma. Nine asthmatic children (7 boys, 2 girls, with a mean +/- SEM age of 11.0 +/- 0.8 yr) with a history of EIB participated in this study. These subjects were pretreated with inhaled indomethacin (3 mg/m2 body surface area [BSA]) or placebo (0.9% saline) according to a double-blind, randomized, crossover design, and underwent an exercise challenge test 15 min after the pretreatment. Inhaled indomethacin significantly attenuated EIB. The mean maximal percent decrease in FEV1 following exercise was 36.1 +/- 5.7% after placebo and 18.0 +/- 4.6% after indomethacin pretreatment (p = 0.0310). Indomethacin also significantly reduced the mean maximal decrease in arterial oxygen saturation after exercise (p = 0.0378). The inhibition of local prostaglandin synthesis and/or ion transport in the airways may be a mechanism involved in the protective potency of inhaled indomethacin.

Diversity of the blocking effects of antisperm antibodies on fertilization in human and mouse

The blocking effects of complement-dependent sperm immobilizing antibodies in the sera of infertile women and monoclonal antisperm antibodies against humans and mice on fertilization were investigated. The hemizona assay (HZA) and sperm penetration assay (SPA) were used to study the inhibitory effects of sera from 22 infertile patients positive for sperm immobilizing antibodies. Use of these tests allowed us to differentiate whether the antibody blocked sperm-zona pellucida tight binding and/or sperm penetration into the ooplasm. The zona pellucida penetration assay (ZPA) was also used to study the effects of four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) on human sperm penetration into the zona pellucida. Seven mAbs against murine spermatozoa were tested for their inhibitory effects on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and HZA in mice. Of 22 patient sera with sperm immobilizing antibodies, 21 (95.5%) inhibited HZA attachment and penetration, whereas this did not occur in any of 13 patient sera without these antibodies. However, 19 of 22 (86.4%) patient sera with sperm immobilizing antibodies and eight of 13 (61.5%) patient sera without these antibodies inhibited the SPA. Two (2C6, 1G12) of four mAbs against human spermatozoa showed strong inhibitory effects in all the assays (HZA, ZPA and SPA). One mAb (3B10) did not inhibit HZA but blocked ZPA and SPA. Another mAb (H6-3C4) seemed to have no inhibitory effects on fertilization. Two (Vx 5 and Vx 8) of seven mAbs against murine spermatozoa inhibited IVF in mice but did not block mouse HZA. These findings suggest that antisperm antibodies block fertilization at specific stages. Some of them may inhibit sperm capacitation and thus prevent all processes of fertilization that follow. Some other antibodies may not affect capacitation and sperm binding to zona pellucida but inhibit the acrosome reaction, followed by the blocking of sperm penetration through zona pellucida and ooplasm.

Quantitative electroencephalography power and coherence in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment

In this study the best combination of quantitative electroencephalographic variables (qEEG) for the discrimination of groups with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment and healthy subjects was defined and related to neuropsychological performance. The study population included 18 patients with mild to moderate probable AD, 19 subjects with objective memory disturbance, 17 subjects with subjective memory complaints who did not have clinical evidence of memory disturbance, and 16 healthy controls. AD patients had significantly increased theta and decreased alpha relative power, mean frequency, and temporoparietal coherence. There was no significant difference in the mean frequency in the left temporal region between AD patients and subjects with objective memory disturbances. Temporoparietal coherence appeared as a discriminant variable together with alpha and theta relative power only between AD patients and controls giving 77.8% sensitivity and 100% specificity. Significant correlations between regional changes in qEEG variables and cognitive functions were found.

Effects of sperm immobilizing antibodies on pregnancy outcome in infertile women treated with IVF-ET

PROBLEM

Since it was found that anti-sperm antibodies could impair in vitro development of fertilized eggs in the presence of complement in rats, the effects of sperm immobilizing antibodies on human pregnancy were examined in infertile women treated with IVF-ET.

METHODS

The pregnancy outcomes of 143 ET cycles in 58 infertile women with sperm immobilizing antibodies and 363 ET cycles in patients with tubal infertility as control were compared. Diagnosis of chemical pregnancy was done when the urinary hCG level had risen over 50 IU/L but a gestational sac could not be demonstrated later. Antibody titers of sperm immobilizing antibodies (SI50 units) were measured by a quantitative sperm immobilization test.

RESULTS

33 (23.1%) of 143 cycles in the patients with sperm immobilizing antibodies and 56 (15.4%) of 363 cycles in the control patients were diagnosed as pregnancy. The pregnancy rates were significantly higher in the former than in the latter (P < 0.05). In the patients with sperm immobilizing antibodies, 12 (36.4%) were chemical pregnancies, 5 (15.2%) were clinical abortions, and 16 (48.5%) had deliveries. In the control group, 18 (32.1%) were chemical pregnancies, 10 (17.9%) were clinical abortions including ectopic pregnancies and 28 (50.0%) had deliveries. There was no significant differences in each category. When the SI50 titers at the time of conception were considered, chemical pregnancy rates were 22.2% (4/18) in patients with SI50 titers below 10 units, but those in patients with SI50 titers above 10 were 50.0% (5/10) and above 100 were 60.0% (3/5), respectively, (P > 0.05). In four of five patients who had both chemical and clinical pregnancies, the SI50 titers at the time of conception were higher in the chemical pregnancy cycles than in the clinical pregnancy cycles.

CONCLUSIONS

Though the pregnancy rates were significantly higher in the patients with sperm immobilizing antibodies as compared to those with tubal infertility, chemical pregnancy rates were also higher in the patients with higher sperm immobilizing antibody titers. These results suggest that sperm immobilizing antibodies may cause the damage of early development of human embryos in vivo in the small number of patients with a high titer of the antibodies.

Effect of age, height, and prechallenge respiratory resistance on bronchial hyperresponsiveness in childhood asthma using the forced oscillation technique

To evaluate the effects of age, height and prechallenge respiratory system resistance (Rrs) on bronchial responsiveness to methacholine inhalation (BRm) as measured by the oscillation technique in children with mild asthma, we studied BRm in 92 atopic children aged from 8 to 13 years (mean +/- SD, 10.5 +/- 1.7 years). Inhalation challenge was performed by administering progressively doubling doses of methacholine, until a twofold increase in Rrs from baseline had been reached. The minimum cumulative dose of methacholine (Dmin) at which Rrs deviated from baseline was identified by the point of deflection of the continuously recorded Rrs tracing. The Dmin represented the amount of methacholine which elicited BRm. By using single-regression analysis, height was negatively correlated with Rrs (p < 0.001). Height was positively and Rrs was negatively correlated with age (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, height and age were correlated with Dmin (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), but prechallenge Rrs was not correlated with Dmin (p > 0.1). To minimize the effect of height and prechallenge Rrs on BRm, the relationships between Dmin and age was studied in a subgroup with a narrow range of heights (135-155 cm, n = 32), and a narrow range of prechallenge Rrs (5.0-6.9 cmH2 O/L/s, n = 42); there remained a statistically significant correlation between Dmin and age in the groups with comparable heights (p = 0.026) and Rrs (p = 0.003). These data suggest that the BHR in childhood asthma may be affected by height and age when measured by the oscillation technique. Considering the many advantages of the oscillation method, this technique may be very suitable for measuring BHR in childhood asthma.