title: Expression levels of the inhibitor of apoptosis survivin in testes of patients with normal spermatogenesis and spermatogenic failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the expression of the inhibitor of apoptosis survivin in men with and without spermatogenic failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two university-based infertility clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-nine infertile men presenting with azoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testicular biopsies for histopathological assessment and analyses of survivin expression levels by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Survivin levels were normalized to expression of the housekeeping porphobilinogen deaminase gene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Correlation of the histological findings with normalized survivin expression levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Testicular survivin mRNA expression was highest in normal spermatogenesis (n = 14). Decreased expression was observed in patients with spermatogenesis disorders. The expression level correlated with the degree of spermatogenic failure. While it was reduced in postmeiotic maturation arrest (n = 11), a lack of expression was seen in most specimens (10 of 12) with premeiotic maturation arrest and in all of those with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (n = 12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that survivin is expressed in human germ cells and might be involved in apoptosis control during spermatogenesis. Decreased survivin expression in spermatogenic disorders may contribute to the accelerated germ cell apoptosis observed in male idiopathic infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, D-12200 Berlin, Germany. steffen.weikert@charite.de
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weikert
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schrader
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D001706:Biopsy; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D000077022:Survivin; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000077022:Survivin