Acceleration of neutrophil precursors' maturation and immunostimulation of CD3+, CD4+ lymphocytes by stanozolol in mice

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is a risk indicator of Guillain-Barré syndrome and is associated with severity and short-term prognosis

Introduction

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune disorder targeting the peripheral nervous system. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple indicator of immune function, is potentially related to its incidence and severity; however, this should be confirmed. We aimed to evaluate the role of NLR in the diagnosis, severity, and prognosis of GBS.

Methods

Data of GBS patients and controls visiting our hospital from January 2010 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed (Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR2100053540). Risk factors were determined through logistic regression. Smoothing curves, receiver-operating characteristic curves, and forest plots were drawn.

Results

We included 136 GBS patients and 211 controls. NLR, as a continuous variable, was associated with GBS risk (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.68-3.21; p < 0.001), severe functional disability (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.43; p = 0.006), severe weakness (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06-1.35, p = 0.004), and short-term prognosis (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.08-1.36; p = 0.001). NLR was more strongly associated with GBS risk in older (≥60 years) (OR, 7.17; 95% CI, 2.38-21.61) or male (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.78-4.64) patients than in younger (<60 years) (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.37-2.57) or female (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.24-2.77) patients. NLR was significantly associated with severe functional disability in faster disease progression (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.03-12.29) and male patients (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.03-1.92) versus in slower disease progression (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.77-1.64) and female patients (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.77-1.64).

Conclusions

NLR may be an independent GBS risk factor and predictor of severe functional disability, severe weakness, and short-term prognosis.

What is responsible for acute myocardial infarction in combination with aplastic anemia? A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Aplastic anemia (AA) complicated with myocardial infarction (MI) is rare and associated with poor prognosis. Here, we present a case of AA with recurrent acute MI (AMI) in a patient treated with cyclosporine A (CsA) and stanozolol. In this patient, we suspect the long-term use of medication linked to platelets hyperfunction.

CASE SUMMARY

In 2017, a 45-year-old man was rushed to the emergency department of China-Japan Union Hospital due to precordial pain for 5 h. Based on his symptoms, medical history, blood tests, and findings from coronary angiography (CAG), the patient was diagnosed with acute anterior wall, ST-segment elevated MI, Killip II grade, AA, and dyslipidemia. In 2021, the patient was readmitted to the hospital for 2 h due to chest pain. Because the patient’s platelet count was 30 × 10⁹/L and he had severe thrombocytopenia, we performed CAG following platelet transfusion. Optical coherence tomography revealed lipid plaque and thrombus mass in his right coronary artery. The antithrombotic approach was adjusted to employ only anticoagulants (factor Xa inhibitors) and adenosine diphosphate inhibitors (clopidogrel) after assessing the risk of bleeding/thrombotic events. Long-term follow-up revealed that the patient had made a good recovery.

CONCLUSION

Patients with AA should be closely monitored for the risk of thrombosis and cardiovascular events, particularly when taking stanozolol or CsA for an extended period of time.

Gender Differences in Urothelial Bladder Cancer: Effects of Natural Killer Lymphocyte Immunity

Men are more likely to develop cancer than women. In fact, male predominance is one of the most consistent cancer epidemiology findings. Additionally, men have a poorer prognosis and an increased risk of secondary malignancies compared to women. These differences have been investigated in order to better understand cancer and to better treat both men and women. In this review, we discuss factors that may cause this gender difference, focusing on urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) pathogenesis. We consider physiological factors that may cause higher male cancer rates, including differences in X chromosome gene expression. We discuss how androgens may promote bladder cancer development directly by stimulating bladder urothelium and indirectly by suppressing immunity. We are particularly interested in the role of natural killer (NK) cells in anti-cancer immunity.

High, not low-dose of stanozolol (Anabolic - androgenic steroid) impedes embryo implantation by attenuating endometrial receptivity in the mouse, Mus musculus

The present investigation is aimed at evaluating the efficacy of one of the anabolic -androgenic steroids, stanozolol (ST), on establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in mice. A total of 40 female mice were assigned to three experimental groups. Stanozolol was dosed subcutaneously (low-dose, 0.5 mg/kg bwt; high-dose, 5.0 mg/kg bwt or 1% alcohol-baseline control) for 30 consecutive days. On the 31st day, treatment was withdrawn. The estrous cycle was disrupted in both treatment groups and its resumption was dose dependent. Following estrous resumption, mice were allowed to mate. Results reveal that the low-dose ST-treated mice maintained gestation until term with reduced litter size, while high-dose-treated mice divulged vaginal plug at frequent intervals, indicating conception failure. Because pregnancy failure was noticed in high-dose-treated mice, they were autopsied on GD1.5 and 4.5. Interestingly, neither dose of stanozolol affected early embryonic development or blastocyst hatching. A decrease in the number of corpora lutea in both treated groups suggests it affects either ovulation or recruitment of follicles that occurs in each cycle for maturation. In high-dose-treated mice, decreased serum levels of estradiol, progesterone and increased testosterone along with downregulated endometrial expression of ERα and PR suggest the deficiency of steroid hormones and their respective receptors. Decreased ovarian expression of ERα, hyperexpression of PRLR, AR and abated progesterone secretion led to luteal dysfunction, consequently attenuating endometrial receptivity. Therefore, in high-dose-treated mice, decreased maternal estradiol and progesterone levels and their receptors during implantation hindered signaling to LIF and Hoxa-10, resulting in pragmatic implantation failure.

Androgen-Induced Immunosuppression

In addition to determining biological sex, sex hormones are known to influence health and disease via regulation of immune cell activities and modulation of target-organ susceptibility to immune-mediated damage. Systemic autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis are more prevalent in females, while cancer shows the opposite pattern. Sex hormones have been repeatedly suggested to play a part in these biases. In this review, we will discuss how androgens and the expression of functional androgen receptor affect immune cells and how this may dampen or alter immune response(s) and affect autoimmune disease incidences and progression.

Concise review: androgen receptor differential roles in stem/progenitor cells including prostate, embryonic, stromal, and hematopoietic lineages

Stem/progenitor (S/P) cells are special types of cells that have the ability to generate tissues throughout their entire lifetime and play key roles in the developmental process. Androgen and the androgen receptor (AR) signals are the critical determinants in male gender development, suggesting that androgen and AR signals might modulate the behavior of S/P cells. In this review, we summarize the AR effects on the behavior of S/P cells, including self-renewal, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation in normal S/P cells, as well as proliferation, invasion, and self-renewal in prostate cancer S/P cells. AR plays a protective role in the oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells. AR inhibits the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, bone marrow stromal cells, and prostate S/P cells, but promotes their differentiation except for adipogenesis. However, AR promotes the proliferation of hematopoietic S/P cells and stimulates hematopoietic lineage differentiation. In prostate cancer S/P cells, AR suppresses their self-renewal, metastasis, and invasion. Together, AR differentially influences the characteristics of normal S/P cells and prostate cancer S/P cells, and targeting AR might improve S/P cell transplantation therapy, especially in embryonic stem cells and bone marrow stromal cells.