title: MicroRNA expression profiles in human testicular tissues of infertile men with different histopathologic patterns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression profiles of microRNA (miRNA) in human testes showing different histopathological patterns.
  
  
  METHODS
  Microarray with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation.
  
  
  METHODS
  University research and clinical institutes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Azoospermic men who underwent testicular biopsy for sperm recovery in preparation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Testicular biopsies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Statistically significantly altered miRNA expression profiles among the testicular histopathologic patterns groups compared with normal pattern group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to miRNA array, a total of 197, 68, and 46 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed when comparing the samples from Sertoli cell only (SCO), mixed atrophy (MA), and germ cell arrest (GA) groups, respectively, with normal spermatogenesis (N). Five miRNAs have been validated using qRT-PCR, and the results were consistent with miRNA array analysis. Bioinformatics analysis showed that five microRNAs (hsa-mir-34b*, hsa-mir-34b, hsa-mir-34c-5p, hsa-mir-449a, and hsa-mir-449b*) were involved in apoptosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Notably, potential target genes of these five miRNAs were involved in the spermatogenesis process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides new insights into specific miRNAs that are expressed in infertile men with different histopathologic patterns, suggesting a role of miRNAs in regulating male germ and somatic cells and that their alteration is associated with reproductive abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Saar, Germany; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IVF and Andrology Laboratory, Saarland University, Saar, Germany. Electronic address: masood@daad-alumni.de.
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abu-Halima
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Backes
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leidinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza Strip, Palestine.
authors.forename: Abdel Monem
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lubbad
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, IVF and Andrology Laboratory, Saarland University, Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: MicroRNA; male infertility; nonobstructive azoospermia; small noncoding RNA; testis