Expression of inhibin alpha, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and stem cell factor in Sertoli cell-only syndrome: relation to successful sperm retrieval by microdissection testicular sperm extraction.
BACKGROUND
Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (TESE) has provided new hope for successful sperm retrieval to patients with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO). We determined expression of the inhibin alpha subunit, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and stem cell factor (SCF) in Sertoli cells obtained from patients with SCO immunohistochemically and compared expression rates with rates of microdissection TESE sperm retrieval.


METHODS
Testicular biopsy specimens were obtained from 52 men with non-obstructive azoospermia who underwent microdissection TESE and were diagnosed with SCO by histological analysis.


RESULTS
All specimens showed intense staining for the inhibin alpha subunit. Moderate or intense staining for GDNF was observed in 65.8% of specimens. All but one showed moderate or intense staining for SCF. Among specimens negative for GDNF, the sperm retrieval rate was significantly higher (100%) for specimens with intense staining for SCF than for specimens with no or moderate staining (30.7%) (P<0.05) for SCF.


CONCLUSIONS
GDNF expression differs among patients with SCO. The sperm retrieval rate was high in cases of no staining for GDNF and intense staining for SCF.
Fujita
K
K
Department of Urology and Department of Pathology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita Osaka 565-0871, Japan. akitsuji@uro.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Tsujimura
A
A
Takao
T
T
Miyagawa
Y
Y
Matsumiya
K
K
Koga
M
M
Takeyama
M
M
Fujioka
H
H
Aozasa
K
K
Okuyama
A
A
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D007265:Inhibins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D042282:Microdissection / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000473:pathology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
D015415:Biomarkers; C495039:GDNF protein, human; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; D007265:Inhibins