Infertility is defined as the inability to conceive a child after one year of regular unprotected intercourse; it is a major health problem affecting about 10-15% of all couples. Infertility is due to a male factor in approximately 50% of cases. The human Y chromosome contains genes necessary for gonadal differentiation into a testis and genes for complete spermatogenesis. We examined the frequ...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the presence of a Y microdeletion confers any adverse effects on in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) outcome. DESIGN Retrospective case-control study. SETTING Academic infertility center. PATIENT(S) A total of 17 patients with Y microdeletions who attempted IVF/ICSI cycles at our center between March 1996 and March 2002 were...

BACKGROUND Treatment of childhood cancer can result in impaired spermatogenesis. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), however, can enable men to achieve fatherhood, and has focused attention on gamete integrity in men with oligozoospermia. Our aim was to assess testicular function in survivors of childhood cancer. METHODS We assessed testicular function in 33 survivors of childhood cancer...

AIM To evaluate the occurrence of classical azoospermia factor (AZF) deletions of the Y chromosome as a routine examination in azoospermic subjects with Klinefelter syndrome (KS). METHODS Blood samples were collected from 95 azoospermic subjects with KS (91 subjects had a 47,XXY karyotype and four subjects had a mosaic 47,XXY/46,XY karyotype) and a control group of 93 fertile men. The values ...

Abstract Study question Could transcriptomic profiling of semen ejaculate be used to predict successful testicular sperm retrieval for men with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia (iNOA)? Summary answer Transcriptomic analysis seminal plasma RNA in iNOA revealed gene imbalances that consistently correlated the success retrieving spermatozoa via a biopsy. What is known already Although microd...

Testicular hyperechogenic foci (THF) are associated with Klinefelter's syndrome, cryptorchidism, infertility, and testicular germ cell neoplasia. The aims of the study were to evaluate THF in relation to etiology of azoospermia and to Sertoli cell dysfunction. The structures inside the scrotum of consecutive non-vasectomized, azoospermic were examined by ultrasonography, and hormone (FSH, LH, t...

OBJECTIVES To examine patient compliance, complications, and significance of rare nonmotile sperm (RNMS) after no-scalpel vasectomy. METHODS We reviewed the records of 690 consecutive men who had undergone vasectomy at our institution between 1996 and 2002. All men were instructed to submit two initial semen samples for analysis (3 and 4 months after vasectomy) and additional samples (at 2-mo...

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of chromosome abnormalities in patients with azoospermia, in our material. Preoperative evaluation included routine andrological investigations with 2 semen analysis, ultrasound, hormonal and genetic examinations. In the last three years, 73 biopsies were performed for testicular sperm extraction in 71 patients. Non-obstructive azoospermia wa...