Granular changes in Sertoli cells in children and pubertal patients.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize lysosomes and histochemical function of granular Sertoli cells in developmental alterations.


METHODS
Prospective and retrospective study.


METHODS
University hospital and research centers.


METHODS
Nineteen infantile and pubertal patients undergoing testicular biopsy; four rat testes for lysosomal study.


METHODS
CD-68, alpha-1-antitrypsin, vimentin, inhibin alpha subunit, and anti-mullerian hormone antibodies were evaluated. Morphometric measures in seminiferous tubules with and without granular Sertoli cells were obtained. Ultrastructural data of lysosomes in human and rat Sertoli cells were compared.


METHODS
Quantification of mean diameter of seminiferous tubules, tubular fertility index, and germ and Sertoli cell indexes were obtained in human testis.


RESULTS
Granular changes in Sertoli cells are due to the accumulation of large amounts of lysosomes. Vimentin immunoexpression in infantile and pubertal granular Sertoli cells was lower than in adjacent nongranular Sertoli cells. Inhibin was negative in granular cells. Anti-mullerian hormone-positive and -negative granular Sertoli cells were present within the same tubules.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of early granular changes in Sertoli cells in childhood and pubertal cryptorchidic patients, associated with other developmental alterations, suggests an intense and irreversible dysfunction of phagocytosis in the granular Sertoli cells. These alterations might be considered primary and irreversible anomalies of Sertoli cells, which might be contributing factors in the infertility seen in these patients.
Nistal
Manuel
M
Department of Morphology, Autonoma University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. mnistal.hulp@salud.madrid.org
Regadera
Javier
J
Winitzky
Pablo
P
Tejerina
Eva
E
Chemes
Hector
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013737:Testis / Q000648:ultrastructure*