OBJECTIVETo study the application value of normal sperm morphology on the outcomes of classic in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET).

METHODSThis study included 659 infertile couples admitted to our center for IVF-ET. Based on the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (MNS), we divided the patients into groups A (n = 112, MNS < 2%), B (n = 180, MNS > or = 2 - < 4%), C (n = 74, MNS > or = 4 - < 5%), and D (n = 293, MNS > or = 5%), and compared the rates of fertilization, normal fertilization, embryos obtained, biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, implantation, and live birth among different groups.

RESULTSThe mean fertilization rate was significantly higher in groups C (71.90%) and D (72.89%) than in A (57.97%) and B (63.29%) (P < 0.05), with no remarkable differences either between A and B (P > 0.05) or between C and D (P > 0.05). The normal fertilization rate was also significantly higher in group D (57.16%) than in A (46.52%) and B (50.89%) (both P < 0.05) as well as in C (54.67%) than in A (P < 0.05). The rate of embryos obtained, too, was markedly higher in group D (55.62%) than in B (45.75%) (P < 0.05), but none with remarkable difference from other groups (all P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences among the four groups in the rates of biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, implantation, abortion, and live birth (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe rate of MNS had some influence on IVF-ET, and 5% MNS exhibited a higher value than 4% MNS in predicting the outcomes of IVF.

Adult ; Embryo Implantation ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Spermatozoa ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo develop a rapid genetic diagnosis technique for the patients with hereditary hearing loss by screening hot spots of mutations, namely 235delC of the GJB2 gene, IVS7-2A>G of the SLC26A4 gene, and 1555A>G of mitochondrial 12S rRNA.

METHODSMultiple PCR amplification of the three fragments covering the expected mutations in GJB2, SLC26A4 and 12S were carried out and the amplified products were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

RESULTSEighteen homozygous and 18 heterozygous 235delC, 2 homozygous and 13 heterozygous IVS7-2A>G, and 8 homogeneous 1555A>G were detected in the 200 patients with hearing loss. All the results were confirmed by sequencing. The detection rate of the three mutant alleles was 21.7% (71/400 + 8/200 = 0.217) and the genetic diagnosis rate was 14% [(18+2+8)/200 = 0.14].

CONCLUSIONIt is a convenient, efficient and economical method to screen the hot spots of mutation in the patient with hereditary hearing loss by using PCR-RFLP.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Connexin 26 ; Connexins ; genetics ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Membrane Transport Proteins ; genetics ; Mutation ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the biological dose by the chromosome aberration analysis in a victim suffered in the radioactive source-loss accident in Nanjing City. METHODS: Peripheral blood sample of the victim was collected 6 days after radioactive exposure. Individual radioactive biological dose was estimated by identifying the aberration of the dicentrics plus centric rings in the metaphase chromosome of cells. The distribution of chromosome aberration was tested by the Poisson distribution. Impure Poisson distribution was used to estimate the radiation dose. RESULTS: Among the 353 cells observed at metaphase,75 aberration of dicentrics plus centric rings were found,43 cells had 1 aberration and 7 cells had 2 aberrations. Moreover,there were 3 multi-aberration cells with 3,4 and 11 aberrations respectively. The average individual radiation dose was estimated to be 1. 52 Gy,which was consistent with the clinical diagnosis as mild acute bone marrow radiation disease. The Poisson distribution u test revealed that the patient suffered from nonhomogeneous radiation.By the impure Poisson distribution test,the radiation exposure proportion of the whole body was estimated to be 55% and the average dose was 3. 02 Gy. CONCLUSION: The biological dose estimation was successfully performed,the results showed that this was a case of nonhomogeneous irradiation.