Interleukin 17 Expression and Significance in Testicular Biopsies of Azoospermic Patients
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- Category: Vol. 83, September 2015
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Interleukin 17 Expression and Significance in Testicular Biopsies of Azoospermic Patients, HOSSAM EL-ENANY, YASSER EL-KHIAT, ISLAM F.S. ABD EL-RAHMAN, AHMED EL-GUINDI, LAILA A. RASHED and MOHAMED F. RAAIA
Abstract
Background: Infection and inflammation have long been proposed as a direct disruptor in the testicular immune privi-lege. Here in a trial for assessment of the role of T helper 17 (Th17) in the pathogenesis of azoospermia by measuring its main product interleukin (IL-17) in testicular biopsies of azoospermic patients using real time PCR and immunohisto-chimestry.
Methods: Sixty two males were recruited for this study and were divided into three groups, the first group included 25 patients whose semen deteriorated gradually reaching azoospermia. The second group included 25 patients diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia either congenital or acquired and the last group included 12 subjects with normal semen analysis who failed to provide a semen sample on the day of ICSI as a control group. Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) was done for the patients in the last group as a part of their ICSI procedure and an extra testicular tissue was utilized for the study. IL- 17 expression level was determined using real time PCR and Immunohistochemistry.
Results: The mean testicular level of IL- 17 in the functional group and obstructive group was significantly higher than in control group (p<0.05). A weak positive correlation has been found between the testicular level of IL-17 in the functional group and the time elapsed since last occasion the patient showed sperms in his semen analysis. In the functional azoospermia group, IL- 17 expression level in testicular biopsies showed higher levels with more spermatogenic damage being the highest in mixed Sertoli cell only syndrome and lowest in hypospermatogenesis. In the obstructive azoospermia group, there was no statistically significant difference in IL17 ex-pression between congenital and acquired obstruction cases.
Conclusion: Inflammation is a basic cause in induction of male infertility through imbalance in the testicular micro-environment privilege. High levels of IL-17 in both functional and obstructive azoospermia groups compared to normal men and higher levels of IL-17 expression with more spermatogenic damage in functional azoospermia cases suggest an inflam-matory process contributing to the etiopathogenesis of azoo-spermia.