C Mendoza1, J Tesarik. 1. Group of Infertility Research, University of Granada Faculty of Sciences, Spain.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occurrence of round spermatids in the ejaculate of men suffering from nonobstructive azoospermia as a prerequisite for the therapeutic use of round spermatid injection into oocytes. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University-based diagnostic and research laboratory. PATIENT(S): Azoospermic men previously thought to be definitively infertile whose cases were revisited in view of the novel method of fertilization by round spermatid injection into oocytes. INTERVENTION(S): Smear preparations of cells from patients' ejaculates were stained by three different methods: Papanicolaou, fluorescein-labeled Pisum sativum agglutinin binding, and antiacrosin antiserum immunolabeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Search for round spermatids in smear preparations of cells from azoospermic ejaculates. RESULT(S): Of 124 azoospermic men examined, 36 (69%) had round spermatids in the ejaculate. the quantity of round spermatids was not related to serum FSH concentration. CONCLUSION(S): Variable quantities of round spermatids can be detected in the ejaculate of most patients with nonobstructive azoospermia. High serum FSH levels do not predict the absence of spermatids.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occurrence of round spermatids in the ejaculate of men suffering from nonobstructive azoospermia as a prerequisite for the therapeutic use of round spermatid injection into oocytes. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University-based diagnostic and research laboratory. PATIENT(S): Azoospermic men previously thought to be definitively infertile whose cases were revisited in view of the novel method of fertilization by round spermatid injection into oocytes. INTERVENTION(S): Smear preparations of cells from patients' ejaculates were stained by three different methods: Papanicolaou, fluorescein-labeled Pisum sativum agglutinin binding, and antiacrosin antiserum immunolabeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Search for round spermatids in smear preparations of cells from azoospermic ejaculates. RESULT(S): Of 124 azoospermic men examined, 36 (69%) had round spermatids in the ejaculate. the quantity of round spermatids was not related to serum FSH concentration. CONCLUSION(S): Variable quantities of round spermatids can be detected in the ejaculate of most patients with nonobstructive azoospermia. High serum FSH levels do not predict the absence of spermatids.