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Biomedical subjects

A Giwercman

Publications and source records attributed to A Giwercman.

140 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Ultrasound in detection of early neoplasia of the testis.

Testicular ultrasound scanning was performed in 192 men with a history of cryptorchidism. The ultrasonic tissue pattern was evaluated and each testis was accordingly given a score on a scale from 1 to 4, 1 representing the normal uniform pattern and 4 being a very irregular pattern. Testicular biopsy of the previously maldescended testicle(s) was carried out in 143 of the scanned men and from two contralateral testicles where the score 4 was given at the ultrasound examination. Two biopsies showed carcinoma-in-situ pattern. Both were found among testes with a very irregular echo pattern. This pattern was found in only 3.2% of all scanned testes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Magnetic resonance: in vivo tissue characterization of the testes in patients with carcinoma-in-situ of the testis and healthy subjects.

Six patients with carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) of the testis and five healthy volunteers were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), relaxation time measurements (T1 and T2) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The study was carried out on a Siemens Magnetom (1.5 Tesla) whole body MR scanner. All patients with CIS had a biopsy taken before MR examination and histology was compared with the MR results. Significant difference between T1 relaxation processes for normals and patients with CIS was shown. It remains to be seen whether these findings are related to the neoplasia or the reduced spermatogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Testicular biopsy as an outpatient procedure in screening for carcinoma-in-situ: complications and the patient's acceptance.

Testicular biopsy has been performed as a simple outpatient procedure to facilitate screening purposes. The target population was men aged 20-30 years with previous cryptorchidism, and the aim of the study was to discover carcinoma-in-situ. When results from the first 209 consecutive males were assessed, very few and minor complications were encountered. Only three patients needed hospitalization for drainage of pus from the wound. The effects of the procedure as experienced by the patients were evaluated by a questionnaire. 72% of the patients found the method acceptable. The advantages were the patients' minimal absence from their jobs, and the low consumption of resources.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Management of carcinoma-in-situ of the testis.

Carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) of the testis progresses to invasive cancer within 5 years in 50% of cases, and therefore requires therapeutic intervention. CIS is probably eradicated by intensive cancer chemotherapy but this is too toxic for the management of non-invasive disease. Eight patients with unilateral testicular cancer and contralateral CIS received localized irradiation (20 Gy in ten fractions of 2 Gy) to the remaining testis: after 3 months the CIS cells had disappeared and 'Sertoli-cell-only' tubules were found. LH and FSH levels were elevated but testosterone levels remained fairly constant. Localized irradiation should be considered as the treatment of CIS in the contralateral testis of testicular tumour patients unless chemotherapy is indicated for the primary tumour. Unilateral orchidectomy is recommended for unilateral CIS associated with infertility or testicular maldescent. Localized testicular irradiation should now be considered for bilateral disease. Patients with the androgen insensitivity syndrome should normally be treated with bilateral orchidectomy, but irradiation may be useful in selected cases.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1986

The effect of salicylazosulphapyridine (sulphasalazine) on male fertility. A review.

Salicylazosulfapyridine (SASP), a drug used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases, has been reported to depress the fertility in males. Therefore, some authors have proposed SASP as a new lead in the search for a contraceptive for men. Based on a review of the literature, our conclusion is that SASP taken in tolerable doses has not sufficient antifertility effect. Additionally, the drug has too serious and too many side effects to be accepted as a contraceptive. However, the effect on male fertility of other sulfa drugs and related compounds remains to be investigated.

Acrosome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A follow-up study of environmental and biologic determinants of fertility among 430 Danish first-pregnancy planners: design and methods.

This paper presents design and methods of a follow-up study of fecundability (defined as the probability of conception during one menstrual cycle) in first-pregnancy planners. We recruited 430 couples by postal letter among 52,255 members of four trade unions. Couples without earlier reproductive experience were enrolled when they discontinued contraception and were followed in six complete menstrual cycles or until a pregnancy was recognized. Data included daily recordings of coitus and menstrual bleeding. Blood, semen, and urine specimens were collected to assess endocrine profile, semen quality, occult embryonal loss, and occupational exposures. Information was obtained about 1661 menstrual cycles (94% of expected). The proportion of couples obtaining a clinical pregnancy during 6 months of follow-up was 65%, and the average probability to obtain a pregnancy across all cycles was 16% (95% CI 14-18%). Among all conceptions the proportion of early embryonal loss was 17% (95% CI 12-22%). This study demonstrates the feasibility of a prospective study of fertility and that the established study base can provide useful information on environmental risk to subfertility.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A follow-up study of male exposure to welding and time to pregnancy.

The aim of this study was to estimate whether male welding has an impact on couple fecundability (the probability of conceiving in a menstrual cycle). A sample of Danish couples without previous reproductive experience was recruited nationwide by postal letters to members of the union of metal workers and three other trade unions. Among 430 included couples, 201 males were metal workers and 130 were welders. The couples were followed for a maximum of six menstrual cycles from termination of birth control until a clinical pregnancy was detected. Compared with nonwelding metal workers the fecundability odds ratio (OR) of male exposure to welding was 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-1.28). An interaction between male smoking and welding was found; within smokers the OR for welding was 0.40 (95% CI 0.17-0.95) and within nonsmokers it was 1.22 (95% CI 0.74-1.99). Previous welding exposure was negatively related to fecundability among smokers (OR 0.84 per year with mild steel welding, OR 0.76 per year with stainless steel welding). No significant results were found when comparing with an external group of nonmetal workers. Decreased fecundability among smoking welders attributable to both current and previous welding exposure is possible, but these findings were the results of subanalyses that were not part of the a priori hypothesis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Semen quality and sex hormones with reference to metal welding.

Welding may involve hazards to the male reproductive system, but previous studies of semen quality have produced inconsistent results. We studied the effects of welding on markers of semen quality in a Danish nationwide sample of 430 first-time pregnancy planners without earlier reproductive experience. Couples were recruited among members of the union of metal workers and three other trade unions and were followed from termination of birth control until pregnancy for a maximum of six menstrual cycles. The males provided semen samples in each cycle. Median sperm density for welders was 56 x 10(6)/mL (52.5 x 10(6)/mL and 50.0 x 10(6)/mL in two reference groups). No statistically significant differences attributable to welding were found in proportions of morphologically normal sperm, sperm motility assessed by computer-aided sperm analysis, or sex hormones (testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone). These negative findings may not apply to populations with high-level exposure to welding fume or to welders exposed to other putative hazards, e.g., heat.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Caffeine intake and fecundability: a follow-up study among 430 Danish couples planning their first pregnancy.

Fecundability has been defined as the ability to achieve a recognized pregnancy. Several studies on caffeine and fecundability have been conducted but have been inconclusive. This may be explained partly by lack of stratification by smoking. Furthermore, few researchers have tried to separate the effect of caffeine from different sources (coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate). Clearly, the relationship between caffeine and fecundability needs further research, given the high prevalence of caffeine intake among women of childbearing age. We examined the independent and combined effects of smoking and caffeine intake from different sources on the probability of conception. From 1992 to 1995, a total of 430 couples were recruited after a nationwide mailing of a personal letter to 52,255 trade union members who were 20 to 35 years old, lived with a partner, and had no previous reproductive experience. At enrollment and in six cycles of follow-up, both partners filled out a questionnaire on different factors including smoking habits and their intake of coffee, tea, chocolate, cola beverages, and chocolate bars. In all, 1596 cycles and 423 couples were included in the analyses. The cycle-specific association between caffeine intake and fecundability was analyzed in a logistic regression model with the outcome at each cycle (pregnant or not pregnant) in a Cox discrete model calculating the fecundability odds-ratio (FR). Compared to nonsmoking women with caffeine intake less than 300 mg/d, nonsmoking women who consumed 300 to 700 mg/d caffeine had a FR of 0.88 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.60-1.31], whereas women with a higher caffeine intake had a FR = 0.63 (95% CI 0.25-1.60) after adjusting for female body mass index and alcohol intake, diseases of the female reproductive organs, semen quality, and duration of menstrual cycle. No dose-response relationship was found among smokers. Among males, the same decline in point estimates of the FR was present. Smoking women whose only source of caffeine was coffee (>300 mg/d) had a reduced fecundability odds-ratio (FR = 0.34; 95% CI 0.12-0.98). An interaction between caffeine and smoking is biologically plausible, and the lack of effect among smokers may be due to faster metabolism of caffeine. Our findings suggest that especially nonsmoking women who wish to achieve a pregnancy might benefit from a reduced caffeine intake.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A longitudinal study of semen quality in pesticide spraying Danish farmers. The ASCLEPIOS Study Group.

It was hypothesized that occupational exposure to pesticides during a spraying season causes changes in semen quality that might be detected in a longitudinal study. We analyzed the within-person changes in semen quality and reproductive hormones across a spraying season in groups of farmers using and not using pesticides. A total of 248 men collected two semen samples (participation rate: 32%). The median sperm concentration declined significantly from the first to the second sample in both groups, but there was no statistical difference in the decline between the two groups, unadjusted or adjusted. Only minor changes were found in sperm morphology, vitality, motility, sperm chromatin denaturation (SCSA), and reproductive hormones, and the differences in changes between the two groups were nonsignificant, or, in the opposite direction to the expected. There was no relation between the changes in sperm parameters in relation to pesticide exposure variables. In conclusion, use of pesticides by Danish farmers is not a likely cause of short-term effects on semen quality and reproductive hormones.

Adolescent↗