• PMID: 16929754
• Gene Name: AR
• Condition: SCO syndrome
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 35
• Population details: 35 (21 Sertoli Cell Only (SCO) testis, 11 spermatogenesis arrest testis, 4 normal testis)
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: AR
• Other associated phenotypes: SCO syndrome

High androgen receptor immunoexpression in human "Sertoli cell only" testis

Loukil LH, Boudawara TS, Ayadi I, Bahloul A, Jlidi R, Ayadi H, Keskes LA.

Our purpose was to evaluate cellular androgen receptor (AR) distribution and intensity of immunostaining in the human azoospermic testis. Thirty six biopsy specimens from azoospermic men were immunostained, using a monoclonal antibody of human AR. The localization and the intensity of AR immunostaining was evaluated in Sertoli Cell Only (SCO) testis (G1, n = 21), in spermatogenesis arrest testis (G2, n = 11) and in histologically normal testis (G3, n = 4). We found an AR immunostaining in Sertoli, peritubular myoid and Leydig cells, but not in germ cells. The intensity of the immunostaining varied substantially between biopsy specimens of different patients. Sertoli and Leydig cells AR immunostaining (score and intensity) in SCO group was higher than in the other groups. For Sertoli cells, the score means of AR immunoreactivity were 20 +/- 2.36, 10.18 +/- 1.0 and 1 +/- 1, for G1, G2 and G3 groups, respectively. For Leydig cells, the score means were 10.24 +/- 1.37, 6 +/- 0.71 and 0, for G1, G2 and G3 groups, respectively. We found significant differences between G1 and G2 (p = 0.0008), between G1 and G3 (p = 1.54 10-7) and G2 and G3 (p = 0.00032). These results suggest that in the testis AR is located exclusively in somatic cells and its expression is higher in SCO syndrome than in normal and in arrest spermatogenesis testes. FAU - Loukil, L Hadjkacem AU - Loukil LH AD - Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Faculté de Mèdecine, Sfax, Tunisie. FAU - Boudawara, T Sellami AU - Boudawara TS FAU - Ayadi, I AU - Ayadi I FAU - Bahloul, A AU - Bahloul A FAU - Jlidi, R AU - Jlidi R FAU - Ayadi, H AU - Ayadi H