title: Deoxyribonucleic acid flow cytometry and semiquantitative histology of spermatogenesis: a comparative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) flow cytometry with a semiquantitative histologic method for the assessment of spermatogenesis and to investigate the influence of various preparative techniques on the results of DNA measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testicular tissue from 52 autopsies was examined for spermatogenesis by DNA flow cytometry and by conventional semiquantitative histology. Flow cytometry was performed on single nuclei suspensions from fine needle aspiration biopsies, resuspended imprints, as well as on specimens obtained by mechanical disaggregation of surgical biopsies of the same testis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all cases, flow cytometry revealed a characteristic distribution pattern of haploid (n), diploid (2n), and tetraploid (4n) cells independent of the preparation technique used. The percentage of haploid cells of the testes showed statistically highly significant correlations (P = 0.0002) with the results of semiquantitative histology. Fine needle aspiration biopsy always contained more haploid cells compared with resuspended imprints and mechanically disaggregated samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirm the suitability of DNA flow cytometry as a fast and reliable quantitative method for the assessment of spermatogenesis and demonstrate its optimal feasibility in combination with fine needle aspiration biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hittmair
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rogatsch
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Offner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feichtinger
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ofner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mikuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004171:Diploidy; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006238:Haploidy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA