Language最新文献

Ants face unique challenges regarding pathogens, as the sociality which has allowed them to form large and complex colonies also raises the potential for transmission of disease within them. To cope with the threat of pathogens, ants have developed a variety of behavioral and physiological strategies. One of these strategies is self-medication, in which animals use biologically active compounds to combat pathogens in a way which would be harmful in the absence of infection. Formica fusca are the only ants that have previously been shown to successfully self-medicate against an active infection caused by a fungal pathogen by supplementing their diet with food containing hydrogen peroxide. Here, we build on that research by investigating how the prevalence of disease in colonies of F. fusca affects the strength of the self-medication response. We exposed either half of the workers of each colony or all of them to a fungal pathogen and offered them different combinations of diets. We see that workers of F. fusca engage in self-medication behavior even if exposed to a low lethal dose of a pathogen, and that the strength of that response is affected by the prevalence of the disease in the colonies. We also saw that the infection status of the individual foragers did not significantly affect their decision to forage on either control food or medicinal food as uninfected workers were also foraging on hydrogen peroxide food, which opens up the possibility of kin medication in partially infected colonies. Our results further affirm the ability of ants to self-medicate against fungal pathogens, shed new light on plasticity of self-medication and raise new questions to be investigated on the role self-medication has in social immunity.

Objectives: Patients with adult sickle cell disease and severe sequelae are treated with nonmyeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. So far, data on gonadal effects are lacking for older cured patients. We assessed the gonadal reserve and sexual function of patients cured of sickle cell disease with transplant and with anti-T-lymphocyte globulin and posttransplant cyclophosphamide-containing regimen within the context of the Baskent Organ Damage Mitigation and Medical Care Development Program.

Materials and methods: All adult patients (≥18 years) with sickle cell disease who underwent peripheral stem cell transplant from September 2013 to July 2019 and were graft-versus-host disease free for 2 years and not immunosuppressed were invited to participate in this prospective observational study. Of 61 eligible patients, 43 participants (~10% from international registries) were included (median age at transplant was 29 years; range, 18-45 years). Gonadal status, risk of gonadal damage posttransplant, conception, and sexual function posttransplant were evaluated.

Results: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant was associated with increased risk of secondary amenorrhea (odds ratio of 93; 95% CI, 4.94-17.50; P = .002) and ovarian insufficiency (odds ratio of 37.8; 95% CI, 2.03 to -700.94; P = .014) but not with female sexual dysfunction. Secondary ovarian insufficiency developed in all women posttransplant. Transplant was associated with significant risk of azoospermia (odds ratio of 4.35; 95% CI, 1.02-18.45; P = .017). Moderate-to-severe erectile dysfunction developed in 2 men (10%). Among female participants, 1 had spontaneous conception that ended in miscarriage and 1 had term delivery after in vitro fertilization. Among male participants, 1 had a child by in vitro fertilization and 1 experienced spontaneous conception.

Conclusions: Although spontaneous conception was shown in our patient group, gonadal damage was evident at >2 years posttransplant. This risk was associated with age in female patients. Better fertility preservation measures should be incorporated into medical care development programs.