title: The gene expression analysis of paracrine/autocrine factors in patients with spermatogenetic failure compared with normal spermatogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the expression levels of IL-1 family members, IL-6, IL-10, TNF family, SCF, and c-kit in infertile patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) compared with men with normal spermatogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 20 testicular biopsy samples with Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST microarrays (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Sixteen of them were obtained from patients with various types of NOA and four with normal spermatogenesis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comparative analysis of normal and pathological group demonstrated a different expression level of IL1-RA gene. It was also observed that the gene expression levels for IL1-R1, CASP1, and stem cell factor (SCF) were upregulated in the Sertoli-cell-only syndrome group in comparison with the control one (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The microarray analysis showed the expression level of all investigated paracrine/autocrine factors at one go, and therefore, the possible interaction between these genes could be examined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Biology and Stem Cells, Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malcher
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rozwadowska
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stokowy
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jedrzejczak
authors.forename: Wojmir
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zietkowiak
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurpisz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000235:genetics*; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000235:genetics*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines
keywords: Cytokines; microarrays; spermatogenesis