[Analysis of clinical outcome of synchronous micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in male infertility with Y chromosome azoospermia factor c region deletion].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical treatment results of male infertility caused by Y chromosome azoospermia factor c region(AZFc) deletion after synchronous micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to guide the treatment of infer- tile patients caused by AZFc deletion. METHODS: The clinical data of infertile patients with AZFc deletion who underwent synchronous micro-TESE in Peking University Third Hospitalfrom January 2015 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical outcomes of ICSI in the patients who successfully obtained sperm were followed up and we compared the outcomes between the first and second synchronous procedures, including fertilization rate, high-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate, abortion rate and live birth rate. RESULTS: A total of 195 male infertile patients with AZFc deletion underwent micro-TESE. Fourteen patients were cryptozoospermia and their sperms were successfully obtained in all of them during the operation, and the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) was 100%(14/14). The remaining 181 cases were non obstructive azoospermia, and 122 cases were successfully found the sperm, the SRR was 67.4%(122/181). The remaining 59 patients with NOA could not found mature sperm during micro-TESE, accounting for 32.6% (59/181). We followed up the clinical treatment outcomes of the patients with successful sperm retrieved by synchronous micro-TESE and 99 patients were enrolled in the study. A total of 118 micro-TESE procedures and 120 ICSI cycles were carried out. Finally 38 couples successfully gave birth to 22 male and 22 female healthy infants, with a cumulative live birth rate of 38.4% (38/99). In the fresh-sperm ICSI cycle of the first and second synchronous operation procedures, the high-quality embryo rate, clinical pregnancy rate of the fresh embryo transfer cycle and live birth rate of the oocyte retrieve cycle were 47.7% vs. 50.4%, 40.5% vs. 50.0%, and 28.3% vs. 41.2%, respectively. The second operation group was slightly higher than that of the first synchronous operation group, but there was no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: Male infertility patients caused by AZFc deletion have a high probability of successfully obtaining sperm in testis through micro-TESE for ICSI and give birth to their own offspring with their own biological characteristics. For patients who failed in the first synchronous procedure, they still have the opportunity to successfully conceive offspring through reoperation and ICSI.

Predictors of testicular sperm retrieval in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia: a review.

Azoospermia is divided into two categories of obstructive azoospermia and non-obstructive azoospermia. Before 1995, couples with a male partner diagnosed with non-obstructive azoospermia had to choose sperm donation or adoption to have a child. Currently, testicular sperm aspiration or micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection allows patients with non-obstructive azoospermia to have biological offspring. The sperm retrieval rate is significantly higher in micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction compared with testicular sperm aspiration. Additionally, micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction has the advantages of minimal invasion, safety, limited disruption of testicular function, a low risk of postoperative intratesticular bleeding, and low serum testosterone concentrations. Failed micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction has significant emotional and financial implications on the involved couples. Testicular sperm aspiration and micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction have the possibility of failure. Therefore, predicting the sperm retrieval rate before surgery is important. This narrative review summarizes the existing data on testicular sperm aspiration and micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction to identify the possible factor(s) that can predict the presence of sperm to guide clinical practice. The predictors of surgical sperm retrieval in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia have been widely studied, but there is no consensus.

Follicle-stimulating hormone may predict sperm retrieval rate and guide surgical approach in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

Testicular sperm aspiration- (TESA) or micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction- (MD-TESE) combined intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was the only option for non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients to have a biological offspring and they had different success rates in sperm retrieval. Our study aimed to find predictor(s) for predicting the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) in NOAs and guide clinicians in choosing different surgical approaches, TESA or MD-TESE for NOAs. 294 NOAs who had undergone TESA or MD-TESE were divided into TESA group and MD-TESE group. Depending on sperm retrieval, each group was divided into two subgroups: successful subgroups and failure subgroups. They respectively were 24 cases and 131 cases, 53 cases and 86 cases. Clinical data, including body mass index (BMI), testicular volume, and serum hormone levels, were analyzed in a retrospective manner. The results showed that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels and SRR were lower in TESA group as compared to these in MD-TESE group, while testicular volume was higher (P < 0.05). The surgical approach of sperm retrieval significantly affected the SRR (P < 0.05). In TESA subgroups, testicular volume, FSH and LH differed significantly (P < 0.05). In MD-TESE subgroups, the level of FSH and LH differed significantly between both groups (P < 0.05). Using logistics regression, we found a negative correlation (ß=-0.083) between FSH and the SRR in TESA group but a positive correlation (ß = 0.064) in MD-TESE group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, serum FSH level can predict the SRR of NOAs and guide the clinicians while selecting the suitable surgery approach for NOAs.

[Micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction for non-obstructive azoospermia patients with the history of secondary testicular injury].

Objective: To investigate the value of micro- dissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in the treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in patients with the history of secondary testicular injury. METHODS: Totally, 121 NOA patients with the history of secondary testicular injury underwent micro-TESE in our hospital from September 2014 to December 2017. We analyzed the correlation of the sperm retrieval rate with the causes of testicular injury and compared the outcomes of the ICSI cycles with the sperm retrieved from the NOA males by micro-TESE (the micro-TESE group) and those with the sperm ejaculated from severe oligospermia patients (sperm concentration <1×106/ml, the ejaculate group). Comparisons were also made between the two groups in the female age, two-pronucleus (2PN) fertilization rate, transferrable embryos on day 3 (D3), D3 high- quality embryos, D14 blood HCG positive rate, embryo implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate. RESULTS: Testicular sperm were successfully retrieved by micro-TESE in 86.0% of the patients (104/121), of whom 98.4% had the history of orchitis, 75.5% had been treated surgically for cryptorchidism, and 63.6% had received chemo- or radiotherapy. No statistically significant differences were observed between the micro-TESE and ejaculate groups in the 2PN fertilization rate (59.4% vs 69.3%, P > 0.05), D14 blood HCG positive rate (44.6% vs 57.9%, P > 0.05), embryo implantation rate (31.8 %% vs 32.6%, P > 0.05) and clinical pregnancy rate (41.5% vs 48.7%, P > 0.05). However, the rate D3 transferrable embryos was significantly lower in the micro-TESE than in the ejaculate group (40.5% vs 52.2%,P < 0.05), and so was that of D3 high-quality embryos (32.5% vs 42.1%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Micro-TESE can be applied as the first choice for NOA patients with the history of secondary testicular injury, but more effective strategies are to be explored for the improvement of ICSI outcomes with the sperm retrieved by micro- TESE.

[Results of micro-TESE and outcomes of ICSI in patients with different etiological types of non-obstructive azoospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the sperm retrieval rate (SRR) of microdissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) and the outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) among different etiological types of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 155 cases of NOA undergoing micro-TESE in our hospital from September 2016 to December 2017, which were classified into three types according to etiological factors: congenital NOA (n = 49), acquired NOA (n = 15) and idiopathic NOA (n = 91). We compared the age, testis volume, levels of reproductive hormones, ultrasonographic manifestations, and SRR of micro-TESE among the three groups of patients. We also recorded and analyzed the rates of fertilization, available embryos and clinical pregnancy in the spouses of the patients included for successful sperm retrieval in micro-TESE. RESULTS: The testis volume was significantly lower in the congenital than in the acquired and idiopathic NOA groups (ï¼»6.4 ± 5.0ï¼½ vs ï¼»10.2 ± 2.0ï¼½ and ï¼»9.9 ± 3.2ï¼½ ml, P < 0.05), while the LH level was markedly higher in the former group than in the latter two (ï¼»15.2 ± 10.1ï¼½ vs ï¼»9.1 ± 6.5ï¼½ and ï¼»7.8 ± 3.5ï¼½ mIU/ml, P < 0.05), and so was the T level in the idiopathic than in the congenital NOA group (ï¼»11.8 ± 4.8ï¼½ vs ï¼»8.9 ± 4.5ï¼½ nmol /L, P < 0.05). The SRRs of micro-TESE in the congenital, acquired and idiopathic NOA patients were 73.5% (36/49), 100% (15/15), and 24.2% (22/91) respectively, with statistically significant differences among the three groups (P < 0.05). The fertilization rate after ICSI was remarkably higher in the acquired than in the congenital and idiopathic NOA groups (ï¼»73.1±23.3ï¼½% vs ï¼»48.9±21.7ï¼½% and ï¼»52.6±22.7ï¼½%, P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in the rates of embryo utilization and clinical pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The sperm retrieval rate of micro-TESE and the rates of fertilization, embryo utilization and clinical pregnancy after ICSI were the highest in the acquired NOA but the lowest in the idiopathic NOA patients.

Micro-dissection testicular sperm extraction for non-obstructive azoospermia patients with the history of secondary testicular injury / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate the value of micro- dissection testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in the treatment of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in patients with the history of secondary testicular injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally, 121 NOA patients with the history of secondary testicular injury underwent micro-TESE in our hospital from September 2014 to December 2017. We analyzed the correlation of the sperm retrieval rate with the causes of testicular injury and compared the outcomes of the ICSI cycles with the sperm retrieved from the NOA males by micro-TESE (the micro-TESE group) and those with the sperm ejaculated from severe oligospermia patients (sperm concentration <1×10⁶/ml, the ejaculate group). Comparisons were also made between the two groups in the female age, two-pronucleus (2PN) fertilization rate, transferrable embryos on day 3 (D3), D3 high- quality embryos, D14 blood HCG positive rate, embryo implantation rate, and clinical pregnancy rate.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Testicular sperm were successfully retrieved by micro-TESE in 86.0% of the patients (104/121), of whom 98.4% had the history of orchitis, 75.5% had been treated surgically for cryptorchidism, and 63.6% had received chemo- or radiotherapy. No statistically significant differences were observed between the micro-TESE and ejaculate groups in the 2PN fertilization rate (59.4% vs 69.3%, P > 0.05), D14 blood HCG positive rate (44.6% vs 57.9%, P > 0.05), embryo implantation rate (31.8 %% vs 32.6%, P > 0.05) and clinical pregnancy rate (41.5% vs 48.7%, P > 0.05). However, the rate D3 transferrable embryos was significantly lower in the micro-TESE than in the ejaculate group (40.5% vs 52.2%,P < 0.05), and so was that of D3 high-quality embryos (32.5% vs 42.1%, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Micro-TESE can be applied as the first choice for NOA patients with the history of secondary testicular injury, but more effective strategies are to be explored for the improvement of ICSI outcomes with the sperm retrieved by micro- TESE.</p>