[Determination and clinical significance of immature germ cells in human semen].
OBJECTIVE
To discuss the clinical significance of determining immature germ cells (IGC) in human semen.


METHODS
Discontinuous Percoll gradients technique was employed to separate different cells and May-Grunwald-Giemsa staining and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FTTC)-Mab-CD45 was adopted to identify IGCs and leukcocytes in semen. The IGCs in 30 semen samples were determined including 10 fertile and 20 infertile cases.


RESULTS
IGCs concentrated in gradient fractions with 30% to 45% Percoll and leukocytes concentrated in 50%-55% Percoll fractions. The concentration of IGCs was (0.70 +/- 0.40) x 10(6) ml in the fertile group and (1.28 +/- 0.70) x 10(6)/ml in the infertile group(P < 0.05). There was no statistical correlation between the IGC concentration and the sperm density, vitality and normal morphology(P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of the discontinuous Percoll gradient method can reach the best separation of IGCs in the ejaculate and it is possible to be used as a clinical index to reflect semen quality.
Huang
Yi
Y
Department of Urology, Third Hospital, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Agarwal
Ashok
A
D002469:Cell Separation; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*