Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (7)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Blagosklonova, O.
Right arrow Articles by Bresson, J.L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Blagosklonova, O.
Right arrow Articles by Bresson, J.L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 8, 2062-2065, August 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Absence of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and M2A immunoreactivities in Sertoli cell-only syndrome and maturation arrest with and without AZF microdeletions

O. Blagosklonova1,3, C. Joanne1, C. Roux1, H. Bittard2, F. Fellmann1 and J.L. Bresson1

1 Service de Cytogénétique-Immunocytologie-Biologie du Développement et de la Reproduction and 2 Service d’Urologie-Andrologie, CHU et EA MENRT 3185, Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie, Place Saint-Jacques, 25030 Besancion Cedex, France

BACKGROUND: Some genes identified in the AZF locus are expressed only in germinal cells; others are ubiquitous. AZF microdeletions seem to occur at the earliest stages of ontogenetic development, and one might therefore assume that Sertoli cells preserve some immature characteristics and that their immunophenotype may be modified by the existence of a molecular defect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two immunohistological markers of Sertoli cell immaturity [anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and M2A] were tested in two histopathological groups (maturation arrest at spermatocyte I stage and Sertoli cell-only syndrome). We analysed 68 testicular samples obtained from 39 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia associated or not with AZF microdeletions. RESULTS: The absence of M2A and AMH immunoreactivity in adult gonads was observed without any correlation to spermatogenetic impairment or molecular deficit in the AZF region. In the samples of these two series, Sertoli cells showed a mature phenotype for AMH and M2A markers. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AZF microdeletions, the genotype-phenotype correlations seem to be more complex than has been suggested previously; more detailed characterization of the immunohistochemical phenotype associated with the molecular defect may be useful in understanding the spermatogenic failure mechanism.

Key words: AMH/azoospermia factor/M2A/male infertility/Sertoli cells

3 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: oxana_blagoskl{at}hotmail.com


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.