Clinical characteristics of men with non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome in northeastern China: implications for genetic counseling.

Abstract

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is the most common genetic cause of male infertility. Widespread development in assisted reproductive technology has provided non-mosaic KS patients with the opportunity of having biological children. Testosterone replacement therapy and micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction are effective sperm retrieval techniques for KS patients. Despite the success of sperm retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), some areas of early aggressive hormonal spermatogenesis and appropriate management of KS remain controversial. Androgenotherapy, a common treatment for KS, carries a risk of decreasing focal spermatogenesis by lowering the gonadotropin content. Inadequately treated hypogonadism increases psychosocial morbidity in KS patients. Preventive care must be provided from the time of diagnosis, preferentially through a multidisciplinary approach. This indicates the need for improved genetic counseling of KS patients. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of non-mosaic KS in a Chinese infertile male population. The rate of early diagnosis was lower in KS patients; most of these were diagnosed after rising concerns of reproductive capacity. The mean age of patients with sperm or germ cells was significantly lower, while the semen volume of these patients was significantly higher. However, the semen volume was negatively correlated with the age and ratio of luteinizing hormone/testosterone content in KS patients. Therefore, genetic counseling of KS patients should focus on early diagnosis and timely treatment, in addition to improving the quality of life of all KS patients. The use of testosterone replacement therapy and/ or micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction should be preferentially considered for fertility preservation.