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Introduction. Male infertility is known to contribute about half of all infertility cases. In Ghana, the prevalence of male infertility is higher (15.8%) than in females (11.8%). Sperm quality is associated with the likelihood of pregnancy and known to be the cause of male fertility problems 90% of the time. Exposure to certain environmental factors reduces semen quality in men. The study examined the effects of environmental and lifestyle factors on semen quality in Ghanaian men. Materials and Methods. This was a cross-sectional study involving 80 apparent healthy adult males in their reproductive age. Participants were males referred to the laboratory (Immunology Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital) for semen analysis test and/or culture and sensitivity. Participants were made to fill out a questionnaire which entailed selected environmental factors (accidents or trauma, exposure to chemicals, radiation, and heat) and lifestyle habits (including alcohol consumption, smoking, and whether participants sat more or less than 4 hours per day). Semen samples were then collected by masturbation into sterile containers and analysed in accordance with WHO guidance for semen analysis within 60 minutes after ejaculation and collection. Results. About 69% of participants had semen pH within the normal range compared to 15% whose pH were lower than 7.2. There was a significantly high number of immotile sperm cells ( p value = 0.017) in participants who sat for more than 4 hours as compared to those that sat for less than 4 hours in a day. Active sperm motility and viability showed significant increase ( p value = 0.002 and 0.009, respectively) in participants who kept their cell phones in their side pockets. Smoking produced a twofold decrease in sperm count as smokers had a significantly lower sperm count ( 12.28 ± 10.95 × 10 6 /ml) compared to the smoke-free ( 23.85 ± 22.14 × 10 6 /ml). For exposure to STDs, no significant differences were recorded among study groups concerning semen quality. Conclusion. Sperm quality in Ghanaian men is associated with lifestyle habits. Smoking and sitting for long hours influenced sperm motility and count, respectively. Knowledge of the factors that influence sperm quality in this geographical region can contribute to informed decisions on effective management of infertility in Ghanaian men.

Background. Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in women worldwide. It is estimated to affect approximately 1.5 million women annually and responsible for the greatest number of cancer-related mortalities among women. In 2018, breast cancer mortalities stood at 627,000 women representing approximately 15% of all cancer deaths among women. In Ghana, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with an incidence of 2,900 cases annually; one of eight women with the disease die. This gives impetus to the fight for improved early detection, treatment, and/management. In this light, we investigated the potential of death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) as a biomarker for breast cancer. As a tumour suppressor, its expression is activated by several carcinogens to influence cellular pathways that result in apoptosis, autophagy, immune response, and proliferation. Aim. To investigate DAPK1 as a blood biomarker for breast cancer. Methods. Blood samples of participants diagnosed with breast cancer and healthy controls were collected and processed to obtain serum. Information on age, treatment, diagnosis, and pathology numbers was retrieved from folders. Pathology numbers were used to retrieve breast tissue blocks of patients at the Department of Pathology of the KBTH. Tissue blocks were sectioned and immunohistochemically stained with anti-DAPK1 and counterstained with hematoxylin to determine the DAPK1 expression levels. DAKP1 levels in blood sera were quantified using a commercial anti-DAPK1 ELISA kit. Case and control group means were compared using one-way ANOVA and Chi-square test. Statistical significance was set at p≤0.05. Results and Discussion. DAPK1 levels were higher in sera and breast tissues of breast cancer patients than controls. The augmented DAPK1 expression can be interpreted as a stress response survival mechanism to remediate ongoing deleterious events in the cells orchestrated by carcinogenesis. In the presence of abundant DAPK1, the proliferative power of cells (both cancerous and noncancerous) is increased. This may explain why high DAPK1 expression strongly associates with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes like the ER-negative breast cancers, especially the triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) which are the most aggressive, fast-growing, and highly metastatic. Conclusion. DAPK1 is highly expressed in sera and breast tissues of breast cancer patients than nonbreast cancer participants. The elevated expression of DAKP1 in circulation rather than in breast tissues makes it a candidate for use as a blood biomarker and potential use as therapeutic target in drug development.