No abstract

The present study investigated the frequency of chromosome aberrations and AZF microdeletions in infertile patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) or severe oligozoospermia. Additionally, the effect of the AZFc microdeletions on the success of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) methods were evaluated. Peripheral blood samples were received from 1,300 infertile men with NOA and severe oligozoospermia. Karyotyping and FISH analysis were performed according to standard methods. AZF microdeletions were analysed using multiplex polymerase chain reaction or GML Y‐chromosome Microdeletion Detection System consisting of 14 markers. The chromosomal aberrations and the AZF microdeletions frequency among 1,300 infertile men were 10.6% and 4.0% respectively. Either ejaculated spermatozoa or microTESE was performed on only in 19 out of 26 patients with AZFc deletions. Of the 19 patients, four had severe oligozoospermia and 15 had NOA. In eight out of 15 NOA patients, testicular mature spermatozoa were obtained (53.3%) and then ICSI was applied to mature oocytes. After undergoing ICSI treatment, clinical pregnancy and live birth outcome rates were found to be 37.5% and 25% respectively. These results suggest that infertile patients with AZFc microdeletion could achieve successful fertilisation pregnancies with the help of assisted reproductive technology.

MEIS proteins are historically associated with tumorigenesis, metastasis, and invasion in cancer. MEIS and associated PBX-HOX proteins may act as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in different cellular settings. Their expressions tend to be misregulated in various cancers. Bioinformatic analyses have suggested their upregulation in leukemia/lymphoma, thymoma, pancreas, glioma, and glioblastoma, and downregulation in cervical, uterine, rectum, and colon cancers. However, every cancer type includes, at least, a subtype with high MEIS expression. In addition, studies have highlighted that MEIS proteins and associated factors may function as diagnostic or therapeutic biomarkers for various diseases. Herein, MEIS proteins and associated factors in tumorigenesis are discussed with recent discoveries in addition to how they could be modulated by noncoding RNAs or newly developed small-molecule MEIS inhibitors.

Chronic production of HBV antigens may lead to inflammation and necrosis. This may cause liver enzymes elevation, hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure (Li, et al. 2018). In liver cells, HBV pathogenicity is primarily related to cell-mediated immune response. While HBsAg and HBeAg cause hepatitis and raise of transaminase, HBcAg activates the CD8 response of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and consequently end with liver cells damage. Persistence of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis causes liver cancer and liver failure (Wooddell, et al. 2013). The initiation of hepatitis and cirrhosis could be successfully inhibited by decreasing serum HBcAg, HBsAg, and HBeAg levels in liver cells (Wooddell, et al. 2013).