Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 7, 1800-1810,
July 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Predictive value of testicular histology in secretory azoospermic subgroups and clinical outcome after microinjection of fresh and frozen–thawed sperm and spermatids
1 Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 2 Centre for Reproductive Genetics, Porto and Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal
BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was carried out on 159 treatment cycles in 148 secretory azoospermic patients to determine whether histopathological secretory azoospermic subgroups were predictive for gamete retrieval, and to evaluate outcome of microinjection using fresh or frozen–thawed testicular sperm and spermatids. METHODS: Sperm and spermatids were recovered by open testicular biopsy and microinjected into oocytes. Fertilization and pregnancy rates were assessed. RESULTS: In hypoplasia, 97.7% of the 44 patients had late spermatids/sperm recovered. In maturation-arrest (MA; 47 patients), 31.9% had complete MA, and 68.1% incomplete MA due to a focus of early (36.2%) or late (31.9%) spermiogenesis. Gamete retrieval was achieved in 53.3, 41.2 and 93.3% of the cases respectively. In Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS; 57 patients), 61.4% were complete SCOS, whereas incomplete SCOS cases showed one focus of MA (5.3%), or of early (29.8%) and late (3.5%) spermiogenesis. Only 29.8% of the patients had a successful gamete retrieval, 2.9% in complete and 77.3% in incomplete SCOS cases. In total, there were 87 ICSI, 39 elongated spermatid injection (ELSI) and 33 round spermatid injection (ROSI) treatment cycles, with mean values of fertilization rate of 71.4, 53.6 and 17%, and clinical pregnancy rates of 31.7, 26.3 and 0% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Histopathological subgroups were positively correlated with successful gamete retrieval. No major outcome differences were observed between testicular sperm and elongated spermatids, either fresh or frozen–thawed. However, injection of intact round-spermatids showed very low rates of fertilization and no pregnancies.
Key words: non-obstructive azoospermia/spermatids/spermatogenesis/testicular sperm/testicular histopathology
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Laboratory Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Lg Prof Abel Salazar 2, 4099–003 Porto, Portugal. E-mail: msousa{at}icbas.up.pt
Note added in proof All ongoing pregnancies from HP, MA and SCOs have resulted in the birth of healthy babies.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. J. Pinho, R. Neves, P. Costa, C. Ferras, M. Sousa, C. Alves, C. Almeida, S. Fernandes, J. Silva, L. Ferras, et al. Unique t(Y;1)(q12;q12) reciprocal translocation with loss of the heterochromatic region of chromosome 1 in a male with azoospermia due to meiotic arrest: a case report Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2005; 20(3): 689 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Verheyen, V. Vernaeve, L. Van Landuyt, H. Tournaye, P. Devroey, and A. Van Steirteghem Should diagnostic testicular sperm retrieval followed by cryopreservation for later ICSI be the procedure of choice for all patients with non-obstructive azoospermia? Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2004; 19(12): 2822 - 2830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Grangeia, F. Niel, F. Carvalho, S. Fernandes, A. Ardalan, E. Girodon, J. Silva, L. Ferras, M. Sousa, and A. Barros Characterization of cystic fibrosis conductance transmembrane regulator gene mutations and IVS8 poly(T) variants in Portuguese patients with congenital absence of the vas deferens Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2004; 19(11): 2502 - 2508. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Ferras, S. Fernandes, C.J. Marques, F. Carvalho, C. Alves, J. Silva, M. Sousa, and A. Barros AZF and DAZ gene copy-specific deletion analysis in maturation arrest and Sertoli cell-only syndrome Mol. Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2004; 10(10): 755 - 761. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.D.M. Nicopoullos, C. Gilling-Smith, P.A. Almeida, and J.W.A. Ramsay The results of 154 ICSI cycles using surgically retrieved sperm from azoospermic men Hum. Reprod., March 1, 2004; 19(3): 579 - 585. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Cremades, M. Sousa, J. Silva, P. Viana, S. Sousa, C. Oliveira, J. Teixeira da Silva, and A. Barros Experimental vitrification of human compacted morulae and early blastocysts using fine diameter plastic micropipettes Hum. Reprod., February 1, 2004; 19(2): 300 - 305. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. T. Mansour, I. M. Fahmy, A. K. Taha, N. A. Tawab, G. I. Serour, and M. A. Aboulghar Intracytoplasmic Spermatid Injection Can Result in the Delivery of Normal Offspring J Androl, September 1, 2003; 24(5): 757 - 764. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|