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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on December 9, 2004
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/deh647
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Human Reproduction © European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 2004; all rights reserved
Received July 28, 2004
Accepted November 11, 2004

Article

Messenger RNA transcripts of the meiotic regulator BOULE in the testis of azoospermic men and their application in predicting the success of sperm retrieval

Yung Ming Lin 1*, Pao Lin Kuo 2, Ying Hung Lin 3, Yen Ni Teng 4, and Johnny Shinn Nan Lin 1

1 Departments of Urology, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
2 Department ofObstetrics & Gynecology, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
3 Institute of Basic Medical Science, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan
4 Early Childhood Education and Nursery, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Yung Ming Lin, E-mail: linym{at}mail.ncku.edu.tw


  Abstract

BACKGROUND: Testicular sperm retrieval can lead to paternity for azoospermic patients with spermatogenic failure. The human BOULE gene, a meiotic regulator of germ cells, is a gene whose altered expression may be associated with sterility. We determined the levels of BOULE transcripts in the testes of azoospermic patients, and evaluated the relationship between BOULE transcript levels and patients' testicular phenotypes, clinical parameters and sperm retrieval results. METHODS and RESULTS: BOULE transcript levels in the testes of 41 azoospermic patients were examined by quantitative competitive-reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. A significant decrease in BOULE transcript levels was detected in patients with spermatogenic failure, and BOULE transcript levels progressively decreased with increasing severity of testicular failure. BOULE transcript levels did not correlate with the serum hormone parameters measured. Significantly higher BOULE transcript levels were detected in 19 patients with successful sperm retrieval than in 12 patients with failed sperm retrieval. When using a cut-off value of 0.5 for BOULE transcript ratio to predict the success of sperm retrieval, both the sensitivity and specificity value were 100%. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest the BOULE transcript plays an important role in human spermatogenesis and that the levels may predict the presence of testicular sperm in patients with spermatogenic failure.

Keywords: azoospermia; BOULE; testis.
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