Due to the biochemical complexity of seminal fluid, we attempt to study the possible correlation between fructose, which is secreted under the effect of androgen hormone, and autoimmunity, which might play a role in varicocele associated infertility, in reducing sperm motility. Seminal fructose, antisperm antibodies (ASAs) and blood steroids hormones (testosterone and progesterone) levels were measured in 66 infertile males with varicocele and 84 without varicocele referred for fertility treatment. Seminal analysis was performed with biochemical measurements of seminal fructose and mixed agglutination reaction (MAR) for ASA. Serum levels of progesterone and testosterone were estimated using a competitive chemoluminescent enzyme immunoassay. The mean values for serum testosterone were 380.74 ± 24.331, 365.9 ± 16.55, and 367.5 ± 21.8 ng/dl, progesterone 0.325 ± 0.243, 0.341 ± 0.022, and 0.357 ± 0.0306 ng/ml, and seminal plasma fructose 359.6 ± 26.75, 315.6 ± 13.08, and 332.08 ± 24.38 mg/dl in males with varicocele, without varicocele, and fertile males, respectively. A significant high level of testosterone was observed within varicocele group (P = .001). This result showed that testosterone may play a role as an infertility determinant in subjects with varicocele. ASA was detected in 18 (26.47%) of cases with varicocele, 20 (38.46%) without varicocele, and in 16 (32.0%) fertile men. Cases with ASAs associated with low sperm motility morphology. An inverse correlation between sperm-bound antibodies and viscosity has been shown (P = .017). ASA showed some significant inverse relations with ages, durations of infertility, and viscosity (P < .05). In addition, a significant correlation was observed between ASA positive seminal plasma and testosterone concentration among infertile cases (with or without varicocele) and fertile (P < .05). Our results suggest a relationship between testicular steroid hormone levels with autoimmunity and sperm antibodies which influence the motility of ejaculated spermatozoa among Jordanian infertile males.

The primary objective of this study was to establish data on mastitis in Awassi Sheep in Al-Balqa Province of Jordan. Milk samples were collected from 260 lactating ewes that selected randomly from eight flocks. California Mastitis Test (CMT) gave result with 220 milk samples; 122 samples (55.5%) showed positive CMT. Infection with some bacterial species was associated with positive CMT. About 26% of the ewes revealed clinical signs of mastitis. The highest percentage of bacterial count, which range from 3×10 2 to <3.0 10 3 cfu mL −1 was founded in the milk samples. The most predominant bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus spp., Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium spp. and Coagulase negative Staphylococci. Sensitivity tests were applied to different isolated strains., Gentamycim, Ampicillin and Tetracycline were the most effective antimicrobial agents against the bacterial isolates.

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Campylobacteriosis, a foodborne illness, is one of the world′s leading causes of gastrointestinal illness. This study investigates the link between human campylobacteriosis and the consumption of potentially contaminated food with Campylobacter jejuni. Three hundred sixty samples were collected from humans, chicken cloaca, raw chicken meat, unpasteurized milk, and vegetables. The chickens were obtained from licensed and non-licensed slaughterhouses, and only the necks and wings were studied. Samples were enriched under microaerobic conditions then cultured on the modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate agar. Bacteria was identified by staining, biochemical testing, and molecular identification by the polymerase chain reaction for the virulence genes; hipO, asp, dnaJ, cadF, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC. The genomic homogeneity of C. jejuni between human and chicken isolates was assessed by the serological Penner test and the pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Campylobacter was not detected in the vegetables and pasteurized milk, though, only twenty isolates from chickens and clinical samples were presumed to be Campylobacter based on their morphology. The biochemical tests confirmed that five isolates were C. coli, and fifteen isolates were C. jejuni including two isolates from humans, and the remaining were from chickens. The colonization of C. jejuni in chickens was significantly lower in necks (6.66%) obtained from licensed slaughterhouses compared to those obtained from non-licensed slaughterhouses (33.3%). The antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that all identified C. jejuni isolates were resistant to antibiotics, and the majority of isolates (53.5%) showed resistance against six antibiotics, though, all isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and aztreonam. The Penner test showed P:21 as the dominant serotype in isolates from humans, necks, and cloaca. The serohomology of C. jejuni from human isolates and chicken necks, wings, and cloaca was 71%, 36%, 78%, respectively. The PFGE analysis of the pattern for DNA fragmentation by the restriction enzyme Smal showed a complete genotypic homology of C. jejuni human isolates and chicken necks compared to partial homology with cloacal isolates. The study brings attention to the need for effective interventions to ensure best practices for safe poultry production for commercial food chain supply to limit infection with foodborne pathogens, including Campylobacter.

Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent of most cases of gastritis. There is no established gold standard for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. A reliable diagnosis is crucial to confirm that eradication therapy has been successful. Eighty gastric biopsy and blood samples were obtained from fasting Jordanian patients with Esophago-Gastro-Doudenoscopy (EGD). Several diagnosis tests for H. pylori infections were used and compared including: Culture, microscopic examination, histopathology, Rapid Urease Test (RUT), serology, biochemical tests, antibiotic susceptibility test and molecular method. Forty two patients were considered H. pylori positive in both histopathology examination and RUT test. On the other hand, 57 patient were detected to have anti-IgA, IgG H. pylori antibody positive by ELISA test. Ten patients had equivocal results but not in both tests. A total of 19 biopsy samples were positive for H. pylori according to culture test. This result was confirmed by endoscopic examination, urease, catalase and oxidase. A high percentages of resistance to vancomycin, polymyxin B and amoxicillin was observed (100, 100 and 94.7%, respectively) with various degree of sensitivity to all of the first line of antibiotics. Molecular technique (PCR) was used to detect CagA gene which appeared positive in 14 patients. We conclude that the histopathology and RUT tests are reliable invasive diagnosis for H. pylori. However, culture test appear to be the most important (if the therapy failed) to detect antibiotic susceptibility to H. pylori strains.

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We compared the performance of leukocyte esterase and nitrite reductase dipstick tests with microscopic examination and uroculture in cases with clinically suspected urinary tract infection (UTI). We studied urine specimens from 504 Jordanian patients which were obtained by the mid-stream clean catch method and analyzed for bacteria. All samples were subjected to culture. Results of urine dipstick tests and pyuria (white blood cells (WBC)/high power field) were compared with urine culture for each sample. Significant bacteriuria was found in 117 cases (23.2%) with positivity of 59% and 68.5% for the presence of nitrite reductase and leukocyte esterase, respectively. Echerichia coli was the most common organism isolated. The dipstick leukocyte esterase and nitrite testing had a sensitivity of 68.5% and 59% for detecting bacteriuria in UTI cases and specificity of 73.5% and 78%, respectively. The positive predictive value of the tests was 44% and 60%, and the negative predictive value 88.5% and 86.2%, respectively. Microscopic WBC showed 86.5% specificity but low sensitivity. Urine dipstick results and pyuria significantly correlated with the results of urine culture but demonstrated more false-positive results, which ranged from 13.4-26.6%. The probability of growing a urinary pathogen correlated with urinary WBC counts and allowed prediction of the presence or absence of bacteriuria by counting urinary leukocytes. A combination of pyuria and urine dipstick testing appears to be a very useful marker for the diagnosis of UTI. Urine culture can be omitted if both tests are negative.