The prostate develops in the urogenital sinus (UGS) under the influence of androgens. Whilst free androgens can enter the cell to activate the androgen receptor and induce prostate development, approximately 98.5% of androgens in plasma are bound to binding proteins such as sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). There is increasing evidence that an alternative pathway for androgens to enter targe...

BACKGROUND Undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be common in the adult film industry because performers frequently engage in unprotected oral and anal intercourse, STIs are often asymptomatic, and the industry relies on urine-based testing. METHODS Between mid-May and mid-September 2010, a consecutive sample of adult film industry performers recruited from a clinic in Los An...

Schistosoma haematobium is a human blood fluke causing a chronic infection called urogenital schistosomiasis. Squamous cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder (SCC) constitutes chronic sequelae of this infection, and S. haematobium infection is accounted as a risk factor for this type of cancer. This infection is considered a neglected tropical disease and is endemic in numerous countries in Afri...

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) data presented in November 2011, one third of the world's population was infected with the TB bacillus. The incidence of new TB cases in 2010 was 9.5 million with 14 million prevalent cases, most of which occurred in the South-East Asia region. The chief aim of the study was to show the spread of tuberculosis (TB) on renal and bone systems. Also,...

Over the last two decades, advanced molecular genetics technology has enabled analysis of complex microbial communities and the study of microbial genomics. Interest has grown in characterizing the microbiome, defined as a collective microbial community and its extensive genome, as a clue to disease mechanisms. "The Human Microbiome Project," sponsored by the NIH Common Fund, was established to...

Cancer treatment should address female-specific survivorship issues, including the hypoestrogenic- related adverse effects of cancer therapies or of natural menopause in survivors. Systemic and vaginal estrogen are widely used for symptomatic relief of vasomotor symptoms, sexual dysfunction, and lower urinary tract infections in the general population. However, given that some types of cancer a...

The increasing number of breast cancer patients who suffer from menopausal symptoms is mainly due to the extensive use of adjuvant treatments in the younger women. Both short and long-term side effects of oestrogen deficiency may severely impact on the quality of life of these women and should not be underestimated. Hormonal treatments are contraindicated in breast cancer survivors mainly due t...

Sickle cell anemia is one of the best studied inherited diseases, and despite being caused by a single point mutation in the HBB gene, multiple pleiotropic effects of the abnormal hemoglobin S production range from vaso-occlusive crisis, stroke, and pulmonary hypertension to osteonecrosis and leg ulcers. Urogenital function is not spared, and although priapism is most frequently remembered, oth...