Young man with asthma and infertility.
Asthma and male infertility are common diseases that can occur in the same patient. In some cases they could have patho-physiological changes common to both diseases. Our patient was seen as a result of having an irritating cough with wheezing, mainly at night, for more than a month. Asthma was diagnosed, and he responded favourably to the treatment given. Upon being informed that he had been examined for infertility for 5 years, alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) levels were requested. These confirmed that he had a phenotype SZ AAT deficiency. These findings, together with some evidence published recently, suggested that there is a need to rule out AAT deficiency in males with asthma and infertility.
Gonzalez Barcala
F J
FJ
Servicio de Neumologia, Hospital de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain. fjgbarcala@telefonica.net
Pena
A
A
Herrero
L
L
Urtaza
A
A
García Domínguez
M
M
Valdes Cuadrado
L
L
D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D019896:alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*