BACKGROUND The PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway has an essential role in transposon silencing, meiosis progression, spermatogenesis, and germline maintenance. HIWI genes are critical for piRNA biogenesis and function. Therefore, polymorphisms in HIWI genes contribute to spermatogenesis defects and can be considered as risk factors for male infertility. The aim of the present study was to in...

Men with severe oligospermia (<5 million sperm/mL ejaculate fluid) or azoospermia should receive genetic testing to clarify etiology of male infertility prior to treatment. Categorization by obstructive azoospermia (OA) or non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is critical since genetic testing differs for the former with normal testicular function, testicular volume (~20 mL), and follicle-stimulati...

BACKGROUND In the recent years, the use of laboratory blood factors such as FSH and inhibin-B for the assessment of spermatogenesis in different studies has increased; of course, the conflicting results have also been achieved. OBJECTIVE To investigate if the measurement of inhibin-B can help surgeon to reduce unnecessary diagnostic testicular biopsies in males with azoospermia. MATERIALS A...

Effect of RISUG, a newly developed male contraceptive, on various amino acids of seminal plasma ejaculates was studied by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 400 MHz. Levels of amino acids were compared with the seminal plasma of obstructive azoospermia and controls. Glutamic acid, glutamine, and arginine were found to be high in concentration in human seminal plasma. The concentration of...

BACKGROUND Round spermatid injections are associated with disappointing clinical outcomes, and although these cells have been shown to mature into late spermatids in vitro, the developmental potential of such gametes remains to be demonstrated. METHODS Round spermatids were isolated from 12 testicle samples of patients with obstructive azoospermia, hypoplasia, complete maturation arrest, and ...

Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) was performed on patients with non-obstructive azoospermia using the conventional or microdissection technique. First, conventional TESE was attempted on all patients. If the sperm was retrieved successfully, the TESE procedure was terminated. Microdissection TESE was indicated only for patients for whom the conventional sperm retrieval was unsuccessful. Sperm...

Infertility affects approximately 15% of couples with equivalent male and female contribution. Absence of sperm in semen, referred to as azoospermia, accounts for 5-20% of male infertility cases and can result from pretesticular azoospermia, non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), and obstructive azoospermia (OA). The current clinical methods of differentiating NOA cases from OA ones are indetermina...

Male infertility may be linked to respiratory tract disease in conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Kartagener's syndrome. Young's syndrome constitutes another such link, in which bronchiectasis is found in association with obstructive azoospermia and normal testicular function. We have studied 34 infertile men with mechanical azoospermia and appropriate control subjects to assess the number ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of two methods of freezing on testicular sperm DNA from subjects with obstructive azoospermia and to compare these with samples of fresh and freeze-thawed testicular sperm from fertile men. DESIGN The Comet assay was used to determine the percentage of undamaged DNA in fresh testicular sperm, testicular sperm freeze-thawed in suspension and in a biopsy sample (...

BACKGROUND About 10% to 15% of infertile men have azoospermia, which could be obstructive or non-obstructive. Diagnostic biopsy from the testis and recently testicular sperm extraction (TESE) are the most precise investigations in these patients. Testicular biopsy can be done unilaterally or bilaterally. The worth of unilateral or bilateral testicular biopsy in men with azoospermia is controver...