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Damage to seminiferous tubules in patients with Sertoli cell only syndrome progresses with aging

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Sources of Funding: none

Introduction

Atrophy of seminiferous tubules (ST) and thickening of lamina propria (LP) are the major histological findings in testes with impaired spermatogenesis, and are variably present in patients with Sertoli cell only syndrome (SCOS). However, the clinical significance of the different degrees of ST atrophy and thickening of LP is unknown. In this study, we assessed ST atrophy and thickening of LP according to age and serum hormone levels in men with SCOS.

Methods

A total of 2,179 seminiferous tubules of 15 patients without any known etiology such as cryptorchidism or chromosomal anomalies who were diagnosed with SCOS by testicular biopsy during microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) were assessed. Diameter of ST and thickness of LP were measured in cross-sections, and average values were calculated in each patient. Correlation between these histological parameters (diameter of ST and thickness of LP) and patient age or serum hormone (luteinizing hormone [LH], follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH], and total testosterone [TT]) levels were assessed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient.

Results

The mean diameter of ST and thickness of LP were 97.2 ± 32.0 (range 19.0 – 212.5) µm and 13.3 ± 6.3 (range 2.0 – 39.0) µm, respectively. There were no significant correlations between diameter of ST or thickness of LP and serum LH or FSH levels. Diameter of ST had significant negative and positive correlations with patient age (Figure A) and serum TT levels (Figure C), respectively. Similarly, thickness of LP had significant positive and negative correlations with patient age (Figure B) and serum TT levels (Figure D), respectively.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that degeneration of ST in patients with SCOS progresses with aging. Immediate planning for micro-TESE is necessary for patients with azoospermia.

Funding

none

Authors
Shoichiro Iwatsuki
Yukihiro Umemoto
Tomoki Takeda
Satoshi Nozaki
Hideki Takada
Hiroki Kubota
Yasunori Itoh
Shoichi Sasaki
Takahiro Yasui
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