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Background: Evaluation of male fertility includes standard semen analysis; however, there is uncertainty about the value of sperm parameters in predicting fertility. Objective: To evaluate the association between semen parameters and fatherhood during a long‐time period. Materials and methods: Semen parameters (total sperm count, concentration, motility, and morphology) and sperm DNA fragmentation Index (DFI) assessed on samples collected from 195 Norwegian men from the general population in 2001/2002 were matched with information about fatherhood until 2015, obtained from the Medical Birth Register. The parameters were dichotomized as normal vs. abnormal according to the WHO reference values from 1999 and 2010. Cut‐offs at 20% and 30% were used for DFI. Results: Among men who had no children before 2003, those with normal progressive sperm motility had more often become fathers (WHO 1999, cut‐off ≥50%, adjusted OR 2.8, 95% CI 1.3–6.1 and WHO 2010, cut‐off ≥32%; aOR 4.2, 95% CI 1.1–15). Based on the WHO 1999 reference value, men with normal sperm concentration (≥20 × 106/mL) had more often become fathers (aOR 3.1, 95% CI 1.1–8.6). Men with progressive sperm motility ≥50% and concentration ≥20 × 106/mL did more often achieve fatherhood (aOR 8.4, 95% CI 2.1–34). For DFI, there was a borderline significance at cut‐off 20% in the group of men who had ever been fathers (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.0–7.0 p < 0.05). Discussion: The results indicate that sperm progressive motility, sperm concentration, and DFI are associated with fatherhood during a longer time period, with sperm motility being most consistent. Although the sample size is relatively small and our results should be replicated in larger studies, they may be of clinical relevance. Conclusion: Semen parameters may have a diagnostic value not only in a short time frame but also for predicting future fertility potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Organic acid anhydrides (OAA) are used as hardeners in epoxy resin systems. They are powerful sensitizers giving frequent rhinitis and asthma in exposed workers. Incidence of symptoms is unknown. Here we present the first prospective study on the associations between OAA exposure, symptoms, and effects of confounding factors. Methods: All new employees in three plants handling OAA were followed for up to 8.5 years. Before the employment, a questionnaire reporting about symptoms of eyes and airways, smoking habits, and atopy was answered. The subjects were asked at regular medical examinations about work tasks and work-related symptoms. Serum was analysed for specific OAA antibodies. Results: Mean exposures varied between 6 and 39 μg/m3. The incidence for work-related symptoms of the eyes, nose, pharynx, and lower airways was 91, 64, 46, and 31 per 1000 years of exposure, respectively. Symptoms were found frequently, even at mean exposure level at <10 μg/m3. Smoking and atopy increased the risk of symptoms. Immunoglobulin (Ig)E sensitized workers had a significant increased risk for symptoms of the eyes and pharynx and for running nose/sneezing. Conclusions: Organic acid anhydrides exposure is associated with frequent ocular and airway symptoms even at mean exposure levels at <10 μg/m3. There is an important need for establishment of an occupational threshold limit. A limit value of below 5 μg/m3 is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Relatively little is known about the cytogenetic features of multiple myeloma (MM) when compared to other hematologic malignancies. The reasons for this are most likely manifold, and include a low mitotic index of the malignant cells and the presence of cytogenetically cryptic abnormalities as well as of complex karyotypes with poor chromosome morphology. In the present study, we have investigated whether various culture conditions may influence the yield of abnormal metaphases in MM and, in the related plasma cell dyscrasias, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and plasmacytomas (PC). In addition, the possible impact of age, gender, and disease phase on the cytogenetic features has been analyzed. A total of 95 samples from 74 cases (68 MM, three PC, and three MGUS patients) were obtained for cytogenetic analysis. The samples were cultured either in conventional medium or in medium containing IL-6 and GM-CSF, and the culture times varied from 24 to 120 h. In total, 186 cultures were analyzed. Metaphase fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis using probes specific for 14q32, i.e. IGH rearrangements, could be performed in 57 of the 74 cases, and revealed 14q32 aberrations in 10 cases not seen by conventional G-banding. Abnormal karyotypes were detected in 77 (41%) of the 186 cultures, 46 (48%) of the 95 samples, and in 41 (55%) of the 74 patients, revealing a total of 20 chromosomal aberrations previously not reported in plasma cell dyscrasias. We found no evidence that gender, age, disease phase, culture time, or cytokine stimulation significantly influences the karyotypic features of MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The exposure–response relationships for the induction of specific IgE and IgG were evaluated in a prospective study of workers exposed to organic acid anhydrides (OAAs). Special attention was paid to the modifying effects of atopy and smoking. Methods: The subjects were 163 previously unexposed persons exposed to epoxy resins with hexahydro-, methylhexahydro-, and methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride as curing agents. The levels of OAAs in air and of specific IgE and IgG in serum were recurrently monitored. The mean observation time was 32 (1–105) months. Results: The mean combined OAA exposure of the subjects was 15.4 (<1–189) μg/m3. Positive specific IgE was demonstrated by 21 (13%) subjects with a mean induction time of 8.8 (1–35) months. The incidence of sensitization was 4.1 cases/1000 months at risk. The relative risk (OR) for atopics was 5.4 (1.9-15.3; 95% CI). An exposure–response relationship was demonstrated by an increasing risk of sensitization with increasing exposure. Conclusions: An association between exposure and atopy, respectively, and the induction of specific antibodies against OAAs were observed. The risk for atopics was comparable with the risk for the subjects in the most exposed group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prognostic impact of karyotypic patterns in a consecutive series of 389 adult myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) was investigated. Time period did not significantly influence the survival times. In the analyses, the MDS cases were subdivided into the cytogenetic subgroups used in the International Prognostic Scoring System, i.e. favourable [–Y, del(5q) or del(20q) as single aberrations or normal karyotype, n = 241], poor [-7, del(7q), der(1;7) or complex karyotypes, i.e. ≥ three abnormalities, n = 89] and intermediate (other aberrations, n = 59). The survival times correlated well with the prognostic subgroups, confirming that the cytogenetic classification was valid. Expressed as hazard ratios (HRs), with the favourable subgroup as the reference, the intermediate and poor subgroup HRs increased to 1·5 (95% confidence interval, 1·1–2·1) and 3·2 (2·4–4·1) respectively. Sex, age, morphological subtype and smoking habits significantly modified this prognostic impact. Shorter survival was detected for men in the favourable and the intermediate subgroups, but not in the poor prognosis subgroup. Using women in the favourable subgroup as the reference and adjusting for age, the HR for men was 1·6 (1·2–2·1) in the favourable subgroup. Adjusting for smoking habits as well decreased the HR to 1·4 (1·1–2·0) and, when also excluding cases with del(5q) as the sole anomaly, no significant difference could be discerned [HR 1·2 (0·9–1·6], suggesting that the better outcome for women in the favourable subgroup was mainly as a result of the ‘5q-syndrome’ and to smoking habits. In the intermediate subgroup, the corresponding HRs were 3·0 (1·5–6·0) when adjusted for age and 2·7 (1·3–5·5) when also adjusted for smoking habits. Different survival times between men and women have never previously been reported for this MDS group. Although it remains to be elucidated whether environmental and/or constitutional factors cause the observed sex-related difference, these observations have obvious clinical ramifications, not least in designing and evaluating therapy protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]