title: Expression of VASA mRNA in testis as a significant predictor of sperm recovery by microdissection testicular sperm extraction in patient with nonobstructive azoospermia.
abstract: It would be of value to evaluate whether expression levels of mRNAs playing  important roles in spermatogenesis could be used as predictors of successful  testicular sperm recovery by microdissection testicular sperm extraction  (TESE) in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). This study included  52 patients with NOA who underwent therapeutic sperm retrieval by micro-TESE  at our institution. We measured expression levels of VASA, outer dense fiber-1  (ODF1), ODF2, and sperm mitochondria-associated cysteine-rich protein  (SMCP) mRNAs in testicular tissue specimens obtained from these patients by  quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.  Expression patterns of these mRNAs were analyzed focusing on the outcomes of  sperm retrieval by micro-TESE. There were no significant differences in age,  testicular volume, and serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,  luteinizing hormone, and testosterone between successful and unsuccessful TESE  groups; however, the proportion of patients with Sertoli cell only in the  successful TESE group was significantly lower than that in the unsuccessful  TESE group. Additionally, expression levels of VASA, ODF1, ODF2, and SMCP  mRNAs in the successful TESE group were significantly greater than those in  the unsuccessful TESE group. Univariate analysis identified histological  classification, VASA, ODF1, ODF2, and SMCP expressions as significant  predictors of sperm retrieval, of which only VASA mRNA expression appeared to  be independently related to micro-TESE outcome on multivariate analysis. These  findings suggest that measurement of VASA mRNA in testis could be a useful  adjunct to conventional parameters for predicting sperm retrieval by  micro-TESE in patients with NOA.
authors: Division of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuoku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. andoh14@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Ando
authors: Kohei
authors: K
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Chiba
authors: Hideaki
authors: H
authors: Miyake
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Fujisawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy*; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D054331:Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome; D053625:Sperm Retrieval; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C086058:ODF1 protein, human; C490107:ODF2 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C484385:SMCP protein, human; C498288:DDX4 protein, human; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases