Urinary Tract, Sexual Organs, and Pregnancy Conditions

All Conditions

Neoplasms

Gland and Hormone Related Diseases

Infertility

Infertility, Male

Testicular Neoplasms

Endocrine Gland Neoplasms

Genital Neoplasms, Male

Urogenital Neoplasms

Genital Diseases

Genital Diseases, Male

Urogenital Diseases

Male Urogenital Diseases

Endocrine System Diseases

Testicular Diseases

Gonadal Disorders

First-degree family members of patients with testicular cancer

The project aims to collect biological samples of saliva from testicular cancer patients and from their first-degree family members; demographic-clinical variables will be also collected in order to draft a comprehensive panel of genes and gene modifications related to the testicular cancer, combining this survey with a very detailed descprition of this cohort of patient in terms of clinical features and quality of life

Analysis of biological samples of saliva from testicular cancer patients and from their first-degree family members

Andrea Salonia, MD

Alessia d'Arma, MSc

The project aims to identify the possible risk factors regarding the onset of the disease and to evaluate genes and gene modifications responsible for the onset od testicular cancer.

Testicular tumor represents a relatively rare disease that hit young-adults men. It represents 1% of all male cancers and 5% of all urological male tumors. Its incidence grow year by year. In the field of the oncological research, the lack of knowledge about genes related to this disease represent a very relevant clinical question. For this reason this project aims to collect biological samples of saliva from testicular cancer patients and from their first-degree family members; demographic-clinical variables will be also collected in order to draft a comprehensive panel of genes and gene modifications related to the testicular cancer, combining this survey with a very detailed description of this cohort of patient in terms of clinical features and quality of life.

WEST-KOaST Study: WES Analysis of Testicular Cancer Patientsand Their First-degree Family Members

WEST-KOaST Study: WES (Whole Exome Sequencing) Analysis of Testicular Cancer Patientsand Their First-degree Family Members

Saliva biological samples will be collected from both patients with testicular cancer and their first-degree family members trough a buccal swab, that will be analysed with a whole exome sequencing (WES) in order to explore panel of genes

Demographic and clinical variables will be collected from the interview with the physician: 1)Age of the subject; 2. Age at diagnosis; 3. Ethnicity; 4.BMI; 5. Lifestyle (smoking, diet, alcohol, physical activity...); 6. Histotype of the neoplasm; 7; Nodule Size; Presence of embryonal carcinoma \> 50%; 8. Percentage of necrosis present; 9. Basic pharmacological therapy; 10. Chemo/radiotherapy;

IRCCS San Raffaele

Professor

Semen sample will be collected prior to the initiation of chemotherapy and one week after the first round of chemotherapy.

Semen collection and analysis

Rachel Neelley

Kyle Orwig, PhD

This study will determine the short-term effects of chemotherapy on sperm DNA.The study involves the collection of semen sample through ejaculation prior to initiation of chemotherapy and up to three time points after initiation of chemotherapy.

While medical advances in the area of cancer treatment have successfully improved the overall detection and treatment of many cancers affecting men and women alike, these very treatment modalities can adversely affect their reproductive capacity.

Certain types of chemotherapy, such as alkylating agents, are notorious for placing patients at high risk for infertility. For men, the best recommendation for patients undergoing such therapy is to cryopreserve semen prior to initiation of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this may not always occur. Some patients have been noted to present to discuss fertility preservation options after completing their first cycle of chemotherapy. In this situation, they will most likely still have sperm which was produced prior to chemotherapy that can be collected even if the stem cells producing the sperm have been damaged or destroyed. However, there are no national guidelines addressing this particular situation. Typically, physicians may advise men to avoid conception anywhere from three months to two years after the final dose of chemotherapy to ensure all exposed germ cells have passed through and only newly formed germ cells remain.

It is crucial to further assess the effects of chemotherapeutic agents on male germ cells in the short window of time between exposure and potential sterility. If a safe time frame could be determined to collect sperm after a single dose of chemotherapy, then these men could be given a second chance to retain their fertility potential.

Short Term Genetic Effects of Chemotherapy on Male Germ Cells

Sperm count test analyzes the health and viability of sperm, as it takes into account sperm number, motility, and morphology.

University of Pittsburgh

Observational

Mariona Quera, MSc

Marga Esbert, PhD

Evelin L Molina

Agustín B Boluda

Ana Belén C Balazote

Verónica G Martínez

The prognosis in cancer patients has improved over the years. Survivor rates have increased significantly, and paternity has become an important concern in more than 50% of young male survivors. Sperm cryopreservation before cancer treatment is highly recommendable in these patients, as a strategy to preserve their fertility due to is not possible to predict how the chemo or radiotherapy treatment will affect the spermatogenesis.

The objective of this study is to evaluate if sperm after an antineoplastic treatment can be safely used. To determine the possible effects of oncological treatments in the spermatogenesis, three parameters will be analyzed, aneuploidy frequencies, DNA fragmentation in single and double-strand breaks and methylation levels to determine epigenetic changes before and after the therapy.

If cancer treatment affect sperm genetic integrity, it would have a clinical impact in the offspring of these patients. Identify the different side effects of antineoplastic treatments in DNA sperm will provide a clinical improvement in order to select the best sperm sample in an IVF treatment and it will facilitate genetic counseling

Epigenetic and Genetic Effects in Cancer Patients: Analysis Pre and After Treatment

The epigenetic analysis will be performed in the laboratories of the company "Sequentia Biotech". The treatment of denatured DNA with sodium bisulfite will be carried out, causing the demining of the cytosine not methylated, preserving the integrity of the Metilcitosines. After DNA sequencing, treated with bisulfite, the methylation state can be inferred directly from the readings aligned against a reference genome: an unmodified cytosine will indicate the existence of methylation in that position, while A thymine (result of PCR amplification after demining) will mean the existence of a non-methylated cytosine. The methylation values will be calculated with the MethylDackel software and the statistical analysis with R package bsseq.

IVI Barcelona

Symptoms and General Pathology

Syndrome

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Cysts

Ovarian Cysts

Ovarian Diseases

Adnexal Diseases

Genital Diseases, Female

Female Urogenital Diseases

Pregnancy Complications

Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications

All Drugs and Chemicals

Endocrine Disruptors

Bisphenol A

Men of couples with a diagnosis of Unexplained infertility (n=15)

Women of couples with a diagnosis of Unexplained infertility (n=15)

Men of couples with a diagnosis of male factor infertility (n=15)

Women of couples with a diagnosis of male factor infertility (n=15)

Women of couples with a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-related infertility (n=15)

Men of couples with a diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome-related infertility (n=15)

Men with a history of no reproductive dysfunction and proven fertility (n=15)

Women with a history of no reproductive dysfunction and proven fertility (n=15)

Angela Baerwald, PhD

The overall objective of this study is to determine whether serum BPA and/or phthalate concentrations differ in fertile versus infertile men and women in Saskatchewan. The investigators will test the following hypothesis:

1. Serum BPA and/or phthalate concentrations will be greater in women with unexplained infertility or PCOS compared to a control group
2. Serum BPA and/or phthalate concentrations will be greater in men with male factor infertility compared to a control group

Study Sample:

Couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and/or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) for assisted reproduction at ARTUS as well as healthy male and female volunteers 18-43 years of age will be asked to participate. In order for infertility patients to be eligible, both the male and female partners must agree to participate. Couples with a combination of both male and female factor infertility will not be eligible to participate. Couples undergoing infertility treatment for the following reasons will be evaluated:

* unexplained infertility (n=15 men, n=15 women)
* PCOS (n=15 men, n=15 women)
* Male factor infertility (n=15 men, n=15 women)

Couples with male factor infertility will serve as controls for the female comparisons (i.e., follicular fluid analyses), and couples with PCOS will serve as controls for the male comparisons (i.e., seminal plasma analyses).

Additional participants will be assigned to the following control groups (for blood sample analyses):

-Healthy volunteers with no history or current diagnosis of reproductive dysfunction (n=15 men, n=15 women)

Participant Recruitment:

Infertile couples will be recruited from the clinical practices of Drs. Allison Case and Adrian Gamelin at the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Centre at the University of Saskatchewan (ARTUS). Posters for recruiting ARTUS patients will also be placed in the waiting room and examining rooms in the Dept of OB/GYN, Division of REI. Healthy male and female volunteers will be recruited from advertisements on the PAWS website at the University of Saskatchewan and Health E-News newsletters in the Saskatoon Health Region.

Pre-Study Visit:

Eligible participants will be asked to visit the ARTUS Centre for a pre-study appointment. At this appointment, study procedures will be discussed with participants and consent will be obtained.

Study Visits:

Blood and follicular fluid samples will be obtained from female partners of infertile couples. Blood and seminal plasma samples will be obtained from male partners of infertile couples. Only blood samples will be collected from healthy men and women. All samples will be collected in both fertile and infertile couples over a 2 week time interval.

A. Infertile couples:

Infertile couples participating in this study will undergo fertility treatment as per the normal standard of care. In other words, the fertility medications, ultrasound assessments, blood work during treatment, oocyte retrieval, semen collection, laboratory procedures and embryo transfer procedures will not be affected by participating in this study.

Both the male and female partner will be asked to provide 1 extra blood sample (approximately 7 mL or 1 teaspoon of blood) on each of the following regularly-scheduled appointments:

1. First ultrasound visit (approximately day 1 of FSH therapy)
2. Day of egg retrieval
3. Day of embryo transfer

Women normally undergo regular blood draws during their IVF treatment; therefore, one additional tube will be drawn for research purposes at the regularly-scheduled blood draw appointments. Men do not normally provide a blood sample during IVF treatment, but will be asked to do so in this study. Blood draws will be performed by phlebotomists (staff that specialize in drawing blood) at Royal University Hospital, physicians, nurses and/or researchers with training in phlebotomy. The blood samples will be processed to remove the cells, and the serum will be frozen for 12-24 months until the completion of the study.

The follicles in the woman's ovaries will be drained and the eggs will be retrieved from the follicular fluid, as per the standard of care. After the eggs are collected, the follicular fluid is normally thrown away. In this study, we will collect the fluid from the follicles on each ovary after the eggs are retrieved. The follicular fluid will be frozen for 12-24 months until study completion.

A semen sample will be provided by the man on the day of the oocyte retrieval procedure, as per standard of care. The semen sample is processed by allowing the semen to pass through a column to separate the most motile sperm (moving very quickly) from the less motile and non-motile sperm. The seminal plasma is the fluid portion of the semen that remains after the most motile sperm have been obtained. The seminal plasma is normally thrown away after the motile sperm are obtained. In this study, we will collect the seminal plasma and freeze it for 12-24 months until the study is completed.

B. Healthy Volunteers:

Healthy volunteers will be asked to provide 1 blood sample (approximately 7 mL or 1 teaspoon of blood) on 3 separate days. Blood draws will be performed by physicians, nurses and/or researchers with training in phlebotomy (i.e., drawing blood). Appointments for blood draws will be made approximately 4-7 days apart.

At the completion of the study all of the frozen blood, follicular fluid, and seminal plasma samples will be transported to the Toxicology Center at the University of Saskatchewan. The levels of exposure to BPA and phthalates will be evaluated. The samples will be destroyed upon completion of the study. The expected duration of study participation is approximately 13-20 days (in accordance with standard fertility therapy) for fertility patients and 3 days for healthy volunteers. All samples will be obtained over a 2 week time period.

Statistical Analysis

Include a summary of the primary and secondary end-points/outcomes, the planned sample size (with justification) and planned statistical and interim analyses.

Study Endpoints:

Exposure to phthalates will be determined by quantifying concentrations of 5 different pthalates. Concentrations of Bisphenol A (BPA), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP), n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) will be quantified in the blood cells, blood plasma, and follicular fluid (individual and pooled samples) by use of liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry methods already developed in our laboratory. Analyses will be conducted by use of an Agilent 1200 series High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system interfaced to an ABI SCIEX 3200 triple quadrapole mass spectrometer system or to a QToF II quadrapole time of flight mass spectrometer (Micromass, Beverly MD). Toxicant concentrations will be the dependent variables. Reproductive status (i.e, unexplained infertility, PCOS, male factor infertility, controls) will be the independent variable. Concentrations of BPA and phthalates in blood cells, blood plasma, seminal plasma and pooled follicular fluid will be compared between study groups using multivariate Analyses of Variance (ANOVA).

n=15 per group is appropriate for conducting this pilot study.

Potential Significance/Justification:

Greater knowledge about the possible effects of BPA and phthalates on reproductive function may increase our understanding of the causes of infertility, assist in preventing reproductive disease, and optimize reproductive health, which will thereby improve patient care. We believe that the results of our study, whether positive or negative, will be of interest to the general public, health professionals and scientific community.

Blood, Follicular Fluid and Seminal Plasma Samples

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Potential Effects on Male and Female Reproductive Health in Saskatchewan

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Potential Effects on Male and Female Reproductive Health in Saskatchewan.

Concentrations of Bisphenol A (BPA), di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DNBP), n-butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP) will be quantified in the blood cells, blood plasma, and follicular fluid (individual and pooled samples) by use of liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry methods and will be compared between study groups using multivariate Analyses of Variance (ANOVA).

Exposure to phthalates will be determined by quantifying concentrations of 5 different pthalates. Concentrations of BPA and phthalates in blood cells, blood plasma, seminal plasma and pooled follicular fluid will be compared between study groups using multivariate Analyses of Variance (ANOVA).

Study title	NCT ID	Conditions	Interventions	Eligibility	Organization
WEST-KOaST Study: WES Analysis of Testicular Cancer Patientsand Their First-degree Family Members	NCT06142500	Testicular Canc...	Analysis of bio...	18 Years - 90 Years	IRCCS San Raffaele
Short Term Genetic Effects of Chemotherapy on Male Germ Cells	NCT02975245	Cancer	Semen collectio...	18 Years - 50 Years	University of Pittsburgh
Epigenetic and Genetic Effects in Cancer Patients: Analysis Pre and After Treatment	NCT04200118	Male Infertilit... Cancer Epigenetic Diso...	Observational	18 Years - 65 Years	IVI Barcelona
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Potential Effects on Male and Female Reproductive Health in Saskatchewan	NCT02272439	Unexplained Inf... Polycystic Ovar... Male Infertilit...		18 Years - 43 Years	University of Saskatchewan
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Potential Effects on Male and Female Reproductive Health in Saskatchewan	NCT02272439	Unexplained Inf... Polycystic Ovar... Male Infertilit...		18 Years - 43 Years	University of Saskatchewan

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