1883 POSSIBLE PROGNOSTIC MOLECULAR MARKER FOR TESTICULAR SPERM EXTRACTION IN PATIENTS WITH NON OBSTRUCTIVE AZOOSPERMIA

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyInfertility: Physiology, Pathophysiology, Basic Research1 Apr 20101883 POSSIBLE PROGNOSTIC MOLECULAR MARKER FOR TESTICULAR SPERM EXTRACTION IN PATIENTS WITH NON OBSTRUCTIVE AZOOSPERMIA Makoto Ando, Kohei Yamaguchi, Koji Chiba, and Masato Fujisawa Makoto AndoMakoto Ando More articles by this author , Kohei YamaguchiKohei Yamaguchi More articles by this author , Koji ChibaKoji Chiba More articles by this author , and Masato FujisawaMasato Fujisawa More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.02.1836AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES We should not be satisfied with the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) for microdissection testicular sperm extraction (MD-TESE) in the patients with nonobstractive azoospermia (NOA). The presence of specific messenger RNAs in the nuclei of human spermatozoa has been demonstrated by several independent laboratories, and the molecular mechanisms of spermatogenesis are beginning to be understood. This study aims at evaluating whether they could be the predictors for successful testicular sperm recovery in patients with NOA. METHODS We obtained tissue samples from forty infertile patients with NOA who underwent therapeutic sperm retrieval by MD-TESE at Kobe University Hospital from June 2004 through February 2009. The mean patient age was 35.3 ± 6.0 years. The serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were 11.7 ± 6.3 IU/L and 4.1 ± 2.1 IU/L. The testicular histopathologic examination revealed Sertoli cell- only (SCO) syndrome in 20 patients, maturation arrest in 10 patients, and hypospermatogenesis in 10 patients. Testicular spermatozoa were successfully retrieved from 22 patients (55%). The SRR were 5 of 20 (25%) in SCO syndrome, 7 of 10 (70%) in maturation arrest and 10 of 10 (100%) in hypospermatogenesis. We analyzed the molecular marker of Vasa (DDX4), Sperm mitochondria-associated cysteine-rich protein (Smcp), Outer dense fiber (Odf)-1,-2, which we found potential to be the predictors for successful testicular sperm recovery, of the messenger RNA (mRNA) transcript levels in testicular tissue specimens from patients with NOA by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and evaluated the relationship between these mRNA transcript levels and the sperm retrieval results. RESULTS In groups with successful sperm retrieval and with failed sperm retrieval, the mRNA transcript levels of Vasa, Smcp, Odf-1 and Odf-2 were 0.487 ± 0.538 versus 0.064 ± 0.209, 0.404 ± 0.576 vs. 0.028 ± 0.108, 0.538 ± 0.500 vs. 0.131 ± 0.294 and 1.31 ± 1.82 vs. 0.069 ± 0.259, respectively, were significantly higher in patients with successful sperm retrieval than in patients with failed sperm retrieval. These results confirm that a measure of these transcript levels may be useful for predicting the presence of sperm in testis. If we failed to identify sperm, in spite of high expression of these mRNAs, we suggest that we may identify sperm by repeating TESE. CONCLUSIONS The mRNAs transcript levels of Vasa, Smcp, Odf-1 and Odf-2 could be the predictive factors for successful testicular sperm recovery in patients with NOA. Kobe, Japan© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 183Issue 4SApril 2010Page: e732 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Makoto Ando More articles by this author Kohei Yamaguchi More articles by this author Koji Chiba More articles by this author Masato Fujisawa More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...