Backgrounds of origin and character of structural changes in testicles of coalminers of Donbass region

Abstract

Introduction. For the verification of Chernobyl factor that influences the structure of testicles of Chernobyl accident liquidators that reside in Donbass region it is necessary to establish pre-existing morphological changes due to harmful work conditions in coal mines. The analytical survey of existing literature indicates the lack of actual data on this question.Purpose – to establish mechanisms of changes in morphological and functional states of testicles of coal miners by complex of qualitative and quantitative histological and immunohistochemical studies for further development of differential diagnostic criteria of verification of the Chernobyl impact factor on liquidators of CNPP accident.Material and methods. Testicles withdrawn during forensic medical examination of 57 persons (control group – 30, miners - 27) at ages of 35-45 were taken as the material. Pathohistological research was conducted according to standard methodology. Mice monoclonal antibodies were used to CD34, collаgen type IV, PCNA, chromogranin A and synaptophysine (DAKO). The preparations were studied under Olympus AX70 (Japan) microscope with the use of AnalySIS Pro 3.2 program (SoftImaging Firm, Germany). The morphometric estimation of parenchyma and stroma condition included the determination of 29 parameters in testicles.The results of the research. A comparative morphological study of testicular tissue of the miner group allows us to ascertain the presence of expressed dystrophic and atrophic processes in parenchyma, which correlates with the intensity and partial depletion of function of the interstitial tissue of testes, worsening of microcirculation, expressed development of venous stasis. Against the background of growing average size and proportions of stroma this leads to the increased ratio of vascular and tubular, vascular and epithelial, stromal and parenchymal components. Consequence of malfunctioning in sperm maturation is the increase in the number of spermatogonia, primary and secondary spermatocytes and Sertoli cells, reducing the number and proportions of spermatids.Identified changes must be taken into account when studying the structure of testicular tissue of liquidators, which have in their anamnesis indications of underground labour experience in a mine not less than 5 years. This will allow evaluating the patterns of morphogenesis objectively and developing appropriate differential diagnostic criteria of verification of Chernobyl impact factor. The restrictions of the use of the given method are defined by expressed mosaic of the revealed changes. High values of coefficients testify this. 8 of the 29 analyzed parameters didn’t have statistically significant differences.Conclusions. Advanced study in the field of differential diagnostics and objective verification of morphological changes in the testicular tissue as the result of different pathological effects, including Chernobyl factor, should be considered as the creation of mathematical model of the structure and morphogenesis of such a complex biological system as testicle.