According to global data, there is a male reproductive potential decrease. Pathogenesis of male infertility is often associated with autoimmunity towards sperm antigens essential for fertilization. Antisperm autoantibodies (ASAs) have immobilizing and cytotoxic properties, impairing spermatogenesis, causing sperm agglutination, altering spermatozoa motility and acrosomal reaction, and thus preventing ovum fertilization. Infertility diagnosis requires a mandatory check for the ASAs. The concept of the blood–testis barrier is currently re-formulated, with an emphasis on informational paracrine and juxtacrine effects, rather than simple anatomical separation. The etiology of male infertility includes both autoimmune and non-autoimmune diseases but equally develops through autoimmune links of pathogenesis. Varicocele commonly leads to infertility due to testicular ischemic damage, venous stasis, local hyperthermia, and hypoandrogenism. However, varicocelectomy can alter the blood–testis barrier, facilitating ASAs production as well. There are contradictory data on the role of ASAs in the pathogenesis of varicocele-related infertility. Infection and inflammation both promote ASAs production due to “danger concept” mechanisms and because of antigen mimicry. Systemic pro-autoimmune influences like hyperprolactinemia, hypoandrogenism, and hypothyroidism also facilitate ASAs production. The diagnostic value of various ASAs has not yet been clearly attributed, and their cut-levels have not been determined in sera nor in ejaculate. The assessment of the autoimmunity role in the pathogenesis of male infertility is ambiguous, so the purpose of this review is to show the effects of ASAs on the pathogenesis of male infertility.
Today, autoimmune Hashimoto´s thyroiditis is the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Thyroid hormones are involved in almost all metabolic processes, their deficiency leads to disruption of metabolic processes in all organs and systems, which is the reason for the rich clinical picture and variety of symptoms of hypothyroidism. The deficiency of thyroid hormones also has a significant negative impact on a person's mental health, identifying a diverse clinical picture – from mild disorders to serious mental disorders. For hypothyroidism, such psycho-neurological changes as drowsiness, weakness, loss of interest in the surroundings, loss of memory and intelligence are also characteristic. Delirious and delirious-hallucinatory conditions are described, as well as anxious and depressive conditions. Hypothyroid psychoneurological disorders have recently become more common, and therefore their diagnosis and correction are becoming more urgent. Persons with hypothyroi dism often mistakenly go not to the endocrinologist, but to a psychiatrist and receive therapy, but psychotropic drugs and antidepressants in hypothyroidism don´t give the proper effect and even are contraindicated. Hypocalcemia is very often observed with Hashimoto´s thyroiditis, it can be explained by autoimmune parathyroiditis with a hypoparathyroid clinic, that is, with autoimmune thyroiditis, the function of parathyroid glands may be disrupted. The article presents the results of our own research. A group of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and hypothyroidism was examined. Complaints, anamnesis and clinic of the disease, levels of TSH, thyroid hormones, total and ionized calcium, inorganic phosphorus, vitamin D3 were studied.
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