Development of a predictive model for increasing sperm retrieval sucpess by microdissection testicular sperm extraction in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia

Microdissection testicular sperm extraction(micro-TESE)is widely used to treat nonobstructive azoospermia.However,a good prediction model is required to anticipate a successful sperm retrieval rate before performing micro-TESE.This retrospective study analyzed the clinical records of 200 nonobstructive azoospermia patients between January 2021 and December 2021.The backward method was used to perform binary logistic regression analysis and identify factors that predicted a successful micro-TESE sperm retrieval.The prediction model was constructed using acquired regression coefficients,and its predictive performance was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve.In all,67 patients(sperm retrieval rate:33.5%)underwent successful micro-TESE.Follicle-stimulating hormone,anti-Miillerian hormone,and inhibin B levels varied significantly between patients who underwent successful and unsuccessful micro-TESE.Binary logistic regression analysis yielded the following six predictors:anti-Mullerian hormone(odds ratio[OR]=0.902,95%confidence interval[Cl]:0.821-0.990),inhibin B(OR=1.012,95%Cl:1.001-1.024),Klinefelter’s syndrome(OR=0.022,95%Cl:0.002-0.243),Y chromosome microdeletion(OR=0.050,95%Cl:0.005-0.504),cryptorchidism with orchiopexy(OR=0.085,95%Cl:0.008-0.929),and idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia(OR=0.031,95%Cl:0.003-0.277).The prediction model had an area under the curve of 0.720(95%Cl:0.645-0.794),sensitivity of 65.7%,specificity of 72.2%,Youden index of 0.379,and cut-off value of 0.305 overall,indicating good predictive value and accuracy.This model can assist clinicians and nonobstructive azoospermia patients in decision-making and avoiding negative micro-TESE results.

Factors influencing the sperm retrieval rate of microdissection testicular sperm extraction in patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome

To investigate the factors affecting the sperm retrieval rate of microdissection testicular sperm extraction(micro-TESE)in patients with nonmosaic Klinefelter syndrome(KS),64 patients with nonmosaic KS who underwent micro-TESE in the Center for Reproductive Medicine of Peking University Third Hospital(Beijing,China)between January 2016 and December 2017 were included in the study.Data on medical history,physical examination and laboratory examination results,and micro-TESE outcomes were collected.Patients were divided into two groups according to micro-TESE outcomes.The following factors were compared between the two groups by the Mann‒Whitney U test or Student’s t-test based on the distribution(nonnormal or normal)of the factors:age,testicular size,follicle-stimulating hormone level,luteinizing hormone level,testosterone level,and anti-Müllerian hormone level.The overall success rate of sperm retrieval was 50.0%.Correlation analysis showed that testicular volume was positively correlated with testosterone level.Using a logistic regression model,age and anti-Müllerian hormone levels were found to be better predictors for the sperm retrieval rate than the other parameters.

Regulation of anti-Mullerian hormone(AMH)in males and the associations of serum AMH with the disorders of male fertility

Anti-Mullerian hormone(AMH)is a functional marker of fetal Sertoli cells.The germ cell number in adults depends on the number of Sertoli cells produced duri ng peri natal development.Rece ntly,AMH has received increasi ng attenti on in research of disorders related to male fertility.This paper reviews and summarizes the articles on the regulation of AMH in males and the serum levels of AMH in male fertility-related disorders.We have determined that follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)promotes AMH transcription in the absenee of androgen signaling.Testosterone inhibits the transcriptional activation of AMH.The undetectable levels of serum AMH and testosterone levels indicate a lack of functional testicular tissue,for example,that in patients with anorchia or severe Klinefelter syndrome suffering from impaired spermatogenesis.The normal serum testosterone level and undetectable AMH are highly suggestive of persistent Mullerian duct syndrome(PMDS),combined with clinical manifestations.The levels of both AMH and testosterone are always subnormal in patients with mixed disorders of sex development(DSD).Mixed DSD is an early-onset complete type of disorder with fetal hypogonadism resulting from the dysfunction of both Leydig and Sertoli cells.Serum AMH levels are varying in patients with male fertility-related disorders,in cludi ng pubertal delay,severe con genital hypog on adotropic hypogonadism,nonobstructive azoospermia,Klinefelter syndrome,varicocele,McCune-Albright syndrome,and male senescence.

Establishing the lower limits of total serum testosterone among Chinese proven fertile men who received treatment of assisted reproductive technology

Testosterone(T)plays a crucial role in spermatogenesis because extremely low levels of intratesticular T lead to correspondingly low serum levels of total T(tT),severe disorders of spermatogenesis,and male sterility.However,there is little consensus on the lower limits of serum tT in proven fertile men undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatments in Chinese or other Asian populations.We aimed to establish the reference range of serum tT based on a population of 868 fertile Chinese men undergoing in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer(IVF/ICSI-ET)treatments.We defined a fertile man as having had a live baby with his partner as recorded in our IVF registration system.The lower limits of serum tT were established using a Siemens IMMULITE 2000 chemiluminescent system.The 1st,2.5th,and 5th percentiles and their 95%confidence intervals(CIs)were 3.6(95%CI:2.7–4.1)nmol l−1,4.3(95%CI:4.1–5.0)nmol l−1,and 5.6(95%CI:4.8–5.8)nmol l−1,respectively.Using the linear correlation of serum tT between the Siemens platform and a liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry platform,the calculated lower limits of serum tT were also established for fertile Chinese men undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET treatments,which will benefit the clinical diagnosis and treatment of male infertility during such procedures.