title: Autometallographic detection of mercury in testicular tissue of an infertile man exposed to mercury vapor.
abstract: A 25-year-old male patient presented with unexplained infertility. Semen analysis showed azoospermia or severe oligoasthenoteratospermia with elevated serum FSH. The history revealed that he had been employed in a chemical factory for 5 years working with chloralkali-electrophoresis. Mercury concentrations in hair, blood, and urine samples were considerably above levels of unexposed controls. Bilateral testicular biopsies revealed marked interstitial lymphatic infiltration. About 33% of the tubules analyzed showed a Sertoli-cell-only (SCO) syndrome and tubular atrophy. Fewer than 4% of tubules showed qualitatively intact spermatogenesis. Autometallographic (AMG) analysis of the biopsy material yielded silver-enhanced mercury grains, primarily in the interstitial Leydig cells. Sections from a control patient not exposed to mercury were devoid of mercury grains.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproductive Medicine of the University, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergmann
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ernst
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kliesch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nieschlag
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006651:Histocytochemistry / Q000379:methods; D006728:Hormones / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D013737:Testis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D008628:Mercury