Serum inhibin B may be a reliable marker of the presence of testicular spermatozoa in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the predictive value of serum inhibin B levels as an indicator of the presence of testicular spermatozoa in nonobstructive azoospermia, compared with the traditional serum FSH marker. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Private high-complexity reproductive center with university affiliation. PATIENT(S): Seventy-eight patients with nonobstructive azoospermia, 15 patients with obstructive azoospermia, and 10 fertile volunteers. INTERVENTION(S): Blood samples, testicular sperm extraction, percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration, and semen collection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of inhibin B and FSH and presence of spermatozoa on TESE, PESA, or regular semen analysis. RESULT(S): Patients with nonobstructive azoospermia has significantly higher levels of serum FSH and significantly lower levels of inhibin B. Mean inhibin B serum levels were significantly higher in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia who had spermatozoa on TESE than in those in whom no spermatozoa were found (89.31 +/- 73.24 pg/mL vs. 19.23 +/- 22.34 pg/mL), but mean FSH serum levels did not have similar predictive power (21.37 +/- 12.92 IU/mL vs. 19.27 +/- 10.28 IU/mL). The cut-off level of inhibin B separating both groups, as determined by the receiver-operating characteristic curves, was >53 pg/mL. CONCLUSION(S): Serum inhibin B level seems to be more accurate than serum FSH level in prediction of the presence of testicular spermatozoa in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia.

Birth of twin males with normal karyotype after intracytoplasmic sperm injection with use of testicular spermatozoa from a nonmosaic patient with Klinefelter's syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To report the birth of healthy twin males after the use of testicular spermatozoa from a nonmosaic patient with Klinefelter's syndrome. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Private reproduction center with university affiliation. PATIENT(S): A couple undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) combined with testicular sperm extraction because of the husband's secretory azoospermia and a nonmosaic 47,XXY peripheral blood karyotype. The wife, a healthy female, presented with a history of oligomenorrhea. INTERVENTION(S): ICSI was performed using testicular spermatozoa; 3 mM pentoxifylline solution was used to induce sperm motility because the spermatozoa recovered were all immotile. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Normal fertilization, embryo cleavage, pregnancy outcome, and peripheral blood karyotype of the newborns. RESULT(S): Thirteen metaphase II oocytes were injected. Seven of them fertilized normally and six did not fertilize. Three good-quality embryos (4-cell stage class II) were transferred, and four were cryopreserved at the two-cell and four-cell stages using a slow freezing protocol. Twelve days after ET, a beta-hCG determination was positive. Ultrasonographic examination revealed three intrauterine fetal sacs, but one of them showed a fetal pole without cardiac activity and vanished in subsequent ultrasonographic examinations. The patient delivered twins with normal male peripheral blood karyotypes. CONCLUSION(S): Normal outcome after the use of testicular sperm extraction and ICSI in a nonmosaic patient with Klinefelter's syndrome reaffirms the notion of low transmission risk of this gonosomal aneuploidy.

Vaginal cabergoline in the treatment of hyperprolactinemic patients intolerant to oral dopaminergics.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerance of vaginal cabergoline in hyperprolactinemic patients intolerant to oral dopaminergics. DESIGN: Case reports. SETTING: University hospital endocrinological outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: A 35-year-old primipara woman with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia and a 22-year-old female with primary amenorrhea harboring macroprolactinoma. INTERVENTIONS: Treatment with vaginal cabergoline (0.5 mg two and five times a week). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The serum PRL levels and side effects were assessed before and during treatment. RESULTS: A single vaginal dose of 0.5 mg cabergoline reduced serum PRL levels by approximately 50% to 85% of basal values over a period of 4 to 5 hours. In the patients with idiopathic hyperprolactinemia, serum PRL levels normalized during long-term treatment, whereas in the one with macroprolactinoma they remained above the normal values (79 ng/mL [conversion factor to SI unit, 3.180]) despite resumption of menses and marked tumor shrinkage (70% reduction). No side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal cabergoline is a safe and effective method of therapy for hyperprolactinemia and it avoids the adverse events of oral administration.

Cabergoline in the long-term therapy of hyperprolactinemic disorders.

The efficacy and safety of the new long-acting dopamine agonist cabergoline were evaluated in 127 hyperprolactinemic patients (124F and 3M; 71 with microprolactinoma, 14 with macroprolactinoma, 5 with operated macroprolactinoma and 37 with idiopathic disorder) who were treated with the drug for from 3 to 52 months (median, 14 months). Cabergoline was administered orally at dose levels ranging between 0.2 and 3.5 mg per week, given once weekly in 92 patients, twice weekly in 22, thrice weekly in 9 and daily in 4. Serum prolactin and progesterone levels, hematology, blood chemistry and electrocardiograms were frequently evaluated throughout treatment. CT or MR imaging of the pituitary was repeated during treatment in patients with macroprolactinoma and in 38 with microprolactinoma. After drug discontinuation, serum prolactin and gonadal function were evaluated monthly for three months in 65 patients and for up to two years in 12. Serum prolactin levels were normalized in 114 patients (90%). Of 56 women with amenorrhea, 52 resumed menses (with presumptive evidence of ovulation in 49); 17 women became pregnant; and sexual potency was restored in the 3 men. Evidence of tumor shrinkage was obtained in 13 of the 14 patients with macroprolactinoma and in 28 of 38 with microprolactinoma; complete disappearance of the tumor image was achieved in 2 macro and 14 microprolactinomas. A total of 48 adverse events was reported by 29 patients (23%), almost all typical of the pharmacological class and mild to moderate; no patient withdrew from treatment due to adverse events. Safety parameters did not change. Following cabergoline discontinuation, prolactin levels increased slowly, being still markedly lower than pretreatment values after three months; 10 patients out of 32 had persistently normal prolactin levels during one year of follow-up.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cabergoline versus bromocriptine in suppression of lactation after cesarean delivery.

We evaluated the efficacy of cabergoline, a new ergoline derivative, in blocking puerperal lactation in a group of women delivered by cesarean section. In a single-blind controlled trial 36 women were randomly allocated to treatment with cabergoline 1 mg in a single dose p.o. (n = 18) or bromocriptine 5 mg/day p.o. for 14 days (n = 18). Treatment was started about 50 h after delivery. Clinical assessment of breast signs and determination of serum prolactin were performed just before treatment and at 3, 5, 7 and 14 days. In the cabergoline-treated group milk secretion was inhibited in 17 women (94.4%). Maximum decrease of serum prolactin was -89.7% at 5 days, and the prolactin-lowering effect of cabergoline was still present at 14 days. In the bromocriptine group milk secretion was inhibited in 16 women (88.9%). Maximum prolactin decrease (-86.9%) was reached at 3 days. Persistent side effects were comparable in the two groups. This study demonstrates that a single oral dose of 1 mg cabergoline is as effective in suppressing puerperal lactation as a full treatment with bromocriptine, even in women delivered by cesarean section.