Activity

Furthermore, the pervasive bovine EVs carried over by the ‘exosome depleted serum’, even when the lowest concentration (0.5%) was used in cell culture, resulted in a significant contamination of human EVs in cell culture conditioned medium. Our findings indicate that the use ‘exosome depleted serum’ in cell culture-based studies may introduce artefacts into research examining the function of human and rodent EVs, in particular those involving EV miRNA. Thus, we appeal to the researchers in the EV field to seriously reconsider the practice of using ‘exosome depleted serum’ in the production of human and other mammalian EVs in vitro.

Anti-Müllerian hormone has become the clinical biomarker-based standard to assess ovarian reserve. As anti-Müllerian hormone testing becomes more common, more individuals are seeking to interpret the values obtained while using contraceptives. To appropriately counsel women, a better understanding of anti-Müllerian hormone levels in women using different contraceptives is needed.

To study the association between different forms of contraceptives and anti-Müllerian levels in women of reproductive age.

This is a cross-sectional study including 27,125 US-based women aged 20 to 46 years, accessing reproductive hormone results through Modern Fertility and who provided informed consent to participate in the research. Anti-Müllerian hormone levels were collected through dried blood spot card (95.9%) or venipuncture (4.1%), and previous work has shown high correlation between hormone levels collected by these 2 methods. Multiple linear regressions were run to compare anti-Müllerian hormone levels in women usingor clinicians on how to interpret anti-Müllerian hormone levels assessed while on contraceptives and may facilitate more patients to continue contraceptive use while being evaluated for their ovarian reserve.

Current hormonal contraceptive use is associated with a lower mean anti-Müllerian hormone level than that of women who are not on contraceptives, with variability in the percent difference across contraceptive methods. These data provide guidance for clinicians on how to interpret anti-Müllerian hormone levels assessed while on contraceptives and may facilitate more patients to continue contraceptive use while being evaluated for their ovarian reserve.

Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (chronic intervillositis) is defined by a diffuse infiltration of monocytes into the intervillous space, which often leads to poor obstetrical outcomes, including recurrent intrauterine growth restriction, miscarriage, and fetal death. The pathogenesis of chronic intervillositis is still poorly defined, and there is an unmet medical need for improved management.

This study aimed to demonstrate the role of anti-human leukocyte antigen alloantibodies in the pathogenesis of chronic intervillositis through the application of criteria used in solid-organ transplantation for the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection.

A multidisciplinary research study based on thorough immunologic and pathologic investigations was carried out for 2 separate couples who experienced recurrent secondary fetal losses following a first normal pregnancy associated with histologic evidence of chronic intervillositis.

Very high levels of complement-fixing, fetus-specific antibodies targeting mfinding explained the high rates of chronic intervillositis recurrence during subsequent pregnancies.

This study provides novel mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of chronic intervillositis and provides new avenues for individualized counseling and therapeutic options.

This study provides novel mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of chronic intervillositis and provides new avenues for individualized counseling and therapeutic options.Male factors, including those of autoimmune origin, contribute to approximately 50% of infertility cases in humans. However, the mechanisms underlying autoimmune male infertility are poorly understood. Deficiency in autoimmune regulator (AIRE) impairs central immune tolerance because of diminished expression of self-antigens in the thymus. Humans with AIRE mutations and mice with engineered ablation of Aire develop multiorgan autoimmunity and infertility. To determine the immune targets contributing to infertility in male Aire-deficient (-/-) mice, we paired Aire-/- or wild-type (WT) males with WT females. Aire-/- males exhibited dramatically reduced mating frequency and fertility, hypogonadism, and reduced serum testosterone. Approximately 15% of mice exhibited lymphocytic infiltration into the testis, accompanied by atrophy, azoospermia, and reduced numbers of mitotically active germ cells; the remaining mice showed normal testicular morphology, sperm counts, and motility. However, spermatozoa from all Aire-/- mice were defective in their ability to fertilize WT oocytes in vitro. Lymphocytic infiltration into the epididymis, seminal vesicle, and prostate gland was evident. GSK1016790A TRP Channel activator Aire-/- male mice generated autoreactive antibodies in an age-dependent manner against sperm, testis, epididymis, prostate gland, and seminal vesicle. Finally, expression of Aire was evident in the seminiferous epithelium in an age-dependent manner, as well as the prostate gland. These findings suggest that Aire-dependent central tolerance plays a critical role in maintaining male fertility by stemming autoimmunity against multiple reproductive targets.Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was originally identified as an outbreak in Wuhan, China, toward the end of 2019 and quickly became a global pandemic, with a large death toll. Originally identified as a respiratory disease, similar to previously discovered SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome type viruses, concern has since been raised about the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the vasculature. This viral-vascular involvement is of particular concern with regard to the small vessels present in the brain, with mounting evidence demonstrating that SARS-CoV-2 is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Severe symptoms of infection, termed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), often result in neurologic complications, regardless of patient age. These neurologic complications range from mild to severe across all demographics; however, the long-term repercussions of neurologic involvement on patient health are still unknown.