• PMID: 17212807
• Gene Name: GAA
• Condition: Oligoasthenozoospermic with and without varicocele
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 80
• Population details: 80 (20 fertile normozoospermic men, 30 oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele, 30 oligoasthenozoospermia without varicocele)
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: alpha-1,4-Glucosidase
• Other associated phenotypes: Oligoasthenozoospermic with and without varicocele

alpha-1,4-Glucosidase activity in infertile oligoasthenozoospermic men with and without varicocele

Roaiah MM, Mostafa T, Salem D, El-Nashar AR, Kamel II, El-Kashlan MS.

This work aimed to assess seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity in infertile oligoasthenozoospermic men associated with and without scrotal varicocele. Eighty men were investigated. They were divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 20), fertile normozoospermic men; group 2 (n = 30), oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele; and group 3 (n = 30), oligoasthenozoospermia without varicocele. The patients underwent medical history, clinical examination, conventional semen analysis and estimation of seminal plasma alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity by double-beam spectrophotometer method and serum testosterone by radioimmunoassay method. There was a significant decrease in the mean seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity levels in infertile men versus controls (mean +/- SD; 7.66 +/- 0.433, 2.088 +/- 0.565, 5.384 +/- 0.85 mU ml(-1) respectively). Mean serum testosterone levels demonstrated nonsignificant differences between studied groups. Seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity levels demonstrated significant correlation with sperm count, sperm motility percentage and serum testosterone in oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele group and demonstrated nonsignificant correlation in other groups. It is concluded that varicocele-induced hypoxia is the adverse effect that causes both oligoasthenozoospermia and decreased seminal alpha-1,4-glucosidase levels. FAU - Roaiah, M M F AU - Roaiah MM AD - Department of Andrology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. FAU - Mostafa, T AU - Mostafa T FAU - Salem, D AU - Salem D FAU - El-Nashar, A R AU - El-Nashar AR FAU - Kamel, I I AU - Kamel II