ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the role of fexofenadine, a mast cell blocker, on semen quality in the treatment of infertile men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The study included 16 Turkish idiopathic infertile men with azoospermia or oligozoospermia who underwent testicular biopsy to examine mast cells containing tryptase. In all patients, a complete medical history, clinical examination, semen analysis and serum hormone assay were carried out. The biopsy specimens were immunohistochemically stained with antihuman tryptase for mast cells. The number of total mast cells per seminiferous tubule was calculated and recorded as mast cell index. The patients were divided into two groups according to their mast cell index: the higher (> or =1, n=9) and the lower (<1, n=7) index groups. Fexofenadine was administered orally at a dose of 180 mg/day for 4 to 9 months. Pre- and post-treatment semen parameters, including total motile sperm counts (TMC) were recorded and compared. Spontaneous pregnancies after the treatment were registered.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There was no statistically significant difference in TMC between the pre-treatment and post-treatment values in patients with higher and lower mast cell index (P> or =0.05). In both groups, nobody had a significant response to the treatment and there was no spontaneous pregnancy after the treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although testicular dysfunction is closely associated with increased number of testicular mast cells, fexofenadine, a mast cell blocker, appears not having any benefit in the treatment of Turkish infertile men with a significant increase in testicular mast cells.</p>