MP66-20 MICROARRY ANALYSIS OF UNIQUE GENES FOUND IN MEN WITH NON-OBSTRUCTIVE AZOOSPERMIA (NOA) AND VARICOCELES

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyInfertility: Basic Research, Physiology & Pathophysiology1 Apr 2014MP66-20 MICROARRY ANALYSIS OF UNIQUE GENES FOUND IN MEN WITH NON-OBSTRUCTIVE AZOOSPERMIA (NOA) AND VARICOCELES Jason Kovac, Josephine Addai, Larry Lipshultz, and Dolores Lamb Jason KovacJason Kovac More articles by this author , Josephine AddaiJosephine Addai More articles by this author , Larry LipshultzLarry Lipshultz More articles by this author , and Dolores LambDolores Lamb More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2014.02.2067AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Varicocele repair in men with NOA can result in improved spermatogenesis. The genetic difference between NOA men with and without varicoceles has never been reported. Results may yield important information about the nature of the testicular changes seen in these two populations of NOA men. METHODS Tissues and blood were obtained from men with NOA (n=16) and subdivided into those with varicoceles (n=9) and those without (n=7). Gene-expression microarray (Agilent Sureprint G3) was used to screen for genetic variations. Microarray data were evaluated with heatmaps, clustering and statistical analysis. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) software using False Discovery Rates at 5% identified the candidate genes and pathways involved. RESULTS Demographics showed control men and those with varicoceles to have similar ages (34±0.4 vs. 32±2 years) and testicular volumes (Left, 15±2 vs. 13±1 mL; Right, 14±2 vs. 13±1 mL). Serum levels for FSH (20±7 vs. 22±4 mIU/L), LH (7±1 vs. 8±1 mIU/L) and Testosterone (313±43 vs. 296±30 ng/dL) were also identical between the groups. IPA revealed 44 genes preferentially expressed in men with varicoceles while network plotting identified ‘Cellular Growth and Proliferation’ as the most perturbed bio-function in NOA men with varicoceles (p<0.05, activation z-score 3.57). Genes most uniquely expressed in men with NOA and varicoceles included ANGPTL4 (induced under hypoxic conditions) and the CASP4 member of the caspase family (involved in apoptosis). IPA data-filtration also revealed that the serum biomarkers CAV1, CTSK, MCM7, NME1 and PLAT could be important in differentiating these patient populations. CONCLUSIONS The current study has identified several genes associated with the presence of varicoceles in men with NOA. Future studies will determine the use of both uniquely expressed genes and biomarkers to identify NOA patients more likely to benefit from varicocele repair. © 2014FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 191Issue 4SApril 2014Page: e748 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2014MetricsAuthor Information Jason Kovac More articles by this author Josephine Addai More articles by this author Larry Lipshultz More articles by this author Dolores Lamb More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...