title: Sperm caspase-9 in oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men with and without varicocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess sperm caspase-9 activity in infertile oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) men with and without varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty men: healthy fertile control subjects (n = 20), OAT (n = 25), and OAT associated with left-side varicocele (n = 35).
  
  
  METHODS
  History taking, clinical examination, semen analysis,assessment of seminal caspase-9.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen analysis, sperm caspase-9.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sperm caspase-9 was significantly increased in infertile OAT men associated with varicocele compared with OAT men without varicocele and healthy fertile control subjects. Sperm casapse-9 activity demonstrated significant negative correlation with sperm count, sperm motility, sperm velocity, sperm linear velocity, sperm linearity index, and sperm normal morphology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sperm caspase-9 is exaggerated in infertile OAT cases with varicocele compared with infertile OAT cases without varicocele or healthy fertile men. Sperm caspase-9 demonstrated significant negative correlation with semen variables.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalata
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Mogy
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdel-Khabir
authors.forename: Youssef
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: El-Bayoumy
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Baz
authors.forename: Taymour
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mostafa
mesh_terms: D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000032:analysis*; D048430:Cell Shape; D004534:Egypt; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053453:Caspase 9