During spermiogenesis, the proximal centriole forms a special microtubular structure: the centriolar adjunct. This structure appears at the spermatid stage, which is characterized by a condensed chromatin nucleus. We showed that the centriolar adjunct disappears completely in mature porcine spermatozoa. In humans, the centriolar adjunct remnants are present in a fraction of mature spermatids. For the first time, the structure of the centriolar adjunct in the cell, and its consequent impact on fertility, were examined. Ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy was performed on near 2000 spermatozoa per person, in two patients with idiopathic male sterility (IMS) and five healthy fertile donors. We measured the average length of the “proximal centriole + centriolar adjunct” complex in sections, where it had parallel orientation in the section plane, and found that it was significantly longer in the spermatozoa of IMS patients than in the spermatozoa of healthy donors. This difference was independent of chromatin condensation deficiency, which was also observed in the spermatozoa of IMS patients. We suggest that zygote arrest may be related to an incompletely disassembled centriolar adjunct in a mature spermatozoon. Therefore, centriolar adjunct length can be potentially used as a complementary criterion for the immaturity of spermatozoa in the diagnostics of IMS patients.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary disease from the group of ciliopathies, which is based on a defect in the cilia ultrastructure of the respiratory epithelium and similar structures (sperm flagella, villi of the fallopian tubes, ventricular ependyma, etc.), leading to motor function impairment. The prevalence of the disease varies significantly around the world and is not known reliably in the Russian Federation.The aim of the review was to analyze literature data on modern approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of PCD.Methodology. The data of 90 articles and the opinions of experts providing care to patients with PCD were used.Results. The classic manifestations of PCD depend on age. The leading manifestations of the disease in patients with PCD are recurrent inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract (bronchitis, pneumonia), with the formation of bronchiectasis, damage to the ENT organs (chronic rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, nasal polyposis, repeated otitis media, progressive hearing loss). Currently, there is no single method which could serve as a “gold” standard for diagnosing PCD. The diagnosis of PCD is based on the characteristic clinical picture in combination with the results of special tests (nitric oxide in exhaled air, DNA diagnostics, high-speed video microscopy, transmission electron microscopy). The genetic diagnostics has not been developed sufficiently in the global practice yet and is unavailable in our country. The approach to the treatment of a patient with PCD should be multidisciplinary due to multiple organ lesions. According to the European consensus, the goal of PCD therapy is to restore or maintain normal lung function. There have been no randomized trials of treatment for PCD, and therefore all treatment recommendations are based on very low-level evidence or extrapolated from cystic fibrosis guidelines. Recommendations on mucolytic, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy of PCD are given with consideration for the international and domestic experience.Conclusion. The development of a new version of clinical guidelines containing up-to-date relevant information will improve the diagnosis and treatment of PCD in the Russian Federation.

Introduction: Pathogenic variants in the OFD1 gene are linked to a spectrum of syndromes that exhibit partial clinical overlap. Hemizygous loss-of-function variants are considered lethal in males, while heterozygous loss-of-function variants generally result in oro-facial-digital syndrome type 1. A reported phenotype, Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome type 2, was published once but remains controversial, with many specialists questioning its validity and arguing about its continued listing in the OMIM database. Methods: To investigate the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of the patients, we performed clinical exome sequencing, family-based genetic analysis, X-inactivation studies, electron microscopy, and detailed clinical assessments. Results: Three patients from unrelated families carrying loss-of-function variants in the OFD1 gene were identified, emphasizing the diverse phenotypic spectrum of OFD1-associated disorders. The first patient, a female with a heterozygous frameshift variant p.(Gln398LeufsTer2), was diagnosed with oro-facial-digital syndrome type 1. The second patient, a male with a heterozygous nonsense variant p.(Gln892Ter), presented with features resembling Simpson–Golabi–Behmel syndrome type 2, as previously reported under this diagnosis. The third patient, a male with another heterozygous nonsense variant p.(Glu879Ter), exhibited isolated primary ciliary dyskinesia without any syndromic features. Conclusions: This study contributes to the growing body of evidence on the expanding phenotypic spectrum of OFD1-associated disorders. It underscores the need for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying the diverse presentations and the necessity of re-evaluating diagnostic classifications for conditions such as SGBS2 in the context of variants in the OFD1 gene.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man - OMIM - #242650) is a rare hereditary disease, which is based on a defect in the ultrastructure of the cilia epithelium of the respiratory tract which leads to the motor function disorder. Data about health characteristics of patients with PCD in the Russian Federation are incomplete.The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical, laboratory, and instrumental characteristics of patients with PCD.Methods. The data of 90 patients (22 adults (24.4%) and 68 children (75.6%)) from several medical centers were studied. The following methods were used: medical history, spirometry, microbiological examination of the respiratory tract, video microscopic analysis of the functional activity of the nasal mucosa ciliated epithelium, transmission electron microscopy of the ciliated epithelium, and DNA testing.Results. The median age at diagnosis was 17.0 years for adults and 5.0 years for children. Kartagener syndrome was detected in 23 (27%) people, including 6 (26.0%) adults. Hearing loss was noted in 5 (26.3%) adult patients and 15 (26.8%) children. Light microscopy of the ciliated epithelium was performed in 14 (82.3%) children and 3 (17.7%) adults. In 12 patients, cilia motor activity was not registered at each of the magnifications (x 100, x 400, x 1,000). Transmission electron microscopy showed that absence ofinternal and external dynein handles (51%) and absence of internal dynein handles (17.9%) were the most common disorders. DNA testing was performed in 55 (61.2%) patients: 16 (29.1%) adults and 38 (70.9%) children. The most common genetic variants were found in the DNAH5 and HYDIN genes. Lung function was reduced in both adults and children, but a significant decrease was noted in adult patients. P. aeruginosa predominated in the culture and accounted for 21.3% (intermittent detection in 13.2%, persistent detection in 9%). It has increased resistance to antibiotics.Conclusion. The results correlate with the European data. Infection caused by P. aeruginosa with the increased resistance to antibiotics was prevalent in patienths with PCD.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary disease, a ciliopathy that is based on a defect in the ultrastructure of the cilia of the epithelium of the respiratory tract and similar structures. All parts of the respiratory tract are affected. About half of the patients with PCD have transposition of the internal organs (Kartagener syndrome – KS).The aim was to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with PCD with and without KS.Methods. An assessment of clinical and genetic characteristics was performed in a sample of 127 patients with PCD, who were divided into 2 groups: patients with KS (n = 60) and without KS (n = 67). The groups were compared on the basis of their medical history (according to the PICADAR scale), clinical, instrumental and laboratory data, including the results of light and video microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and genetic testing.Results. According to the results of comparative characterization of patients with PCD with and without KS, there were similarities in the medical history, decreased lung function indices, videomicroscopy results – ciliated epithelium beating below 6 Hz, TEM – predominance of dynein arm defect. The PICADAR score was higher in the group with KS than in the group without it; congenital heart defects and renal pathology were found more frequently in patients with KS, while hearing loss and nasal polyposis were found more frequently in patients without KS. Electron microscopy revealed defects in the outer and inner dynein arms of the cilia in 50% of patients in both groups, and a tendency to lack of the central pair of microtubules in 18% of patients without KS. The following genes responsible for PCD were found in both groups: DNAH5, CFAP300 and HYDIN. DNAH5 gene variants were more common for KS patients (61.1%), while HYDIN gene variants were only found in patients with PCD without KS (15.8%).Conclusion. The identified differences may help in the diagnosis of the groups studied.