Pregnancy and live birth after follicle-stimulating hormone treatment for an infertile couple including a male affected by Sertoli cell-only syndrome

Sertoli Cells Only Syndrome - Case Report

Exclusive Sertoli Cell Syndrome (ESCS) is a rare condition that has male infertility as its main consequence. It is one of the most serious forms of non-obstructive azoospermia, with a poor reproductive prognosis. In some cases, however, such as the type II of the syndrome, sperm can be recovered through testicular puncture and subsequent ICSI, with a 13% success rate. This article aims to report the case of an azoospermic 35-year-old patient, with no other significant changes in complementary exams. After percutaneous puncture of the epididymis and biopsy with no sperm, we diagnosed ESCS, and indicated IVF with donor semen.

Sertoli cell-only syndrome: etiology and clinical management

Almost 50% of infertility cases are due to male factors, and spermatogenesis failure is one of the most severe forms of male infertility. Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) also known as germ cell aplasia is characterized by azoospermia in which the seminiferous tubules of testicular biopsy are lined only with Sertoli cells. The definitive diagnosis of SCOS is by diagnostic testicular biopsy. Although SCOS may be a result of Klinefelter syndrome, most of the SCOS men have a normal karyotype. Along with genetic aberrations, signaling pathways and endocrine processes might be major factors in the development of SCOS. Sperm retrieval and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are available treatments for SCOS. However, some SCOS patients do not have therapeutic options to help them having a biological child. This review aims to summarize our present knowledge about SCOS and to highlight the importance of future researches in the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder.

Identification of Premeiotic, Meiotic, and Postmeiotic Cells in Testicular Biopsies Without Sperm from Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome Patients

Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) affects about 26.3⁻57.8% of azoospermic men, with their seminiferous tubules containing only Sertoli cells. Recently, it was reported that testicular biopsies from nonobstructive azoospermic (NOA) patients contained germ cells, and that sperm could be found in the tubules of 20% of SCOS patients using testicular sperm extraction technology. Since the patients without sperm in their testicular biopsies do not have therapy to help them to father a biological child, in vitro maturation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) isolated from their testis is a new approach for possible future infertility treatment. Recently, the induction of human and mice SSCs proliferation and differentiation was demonstrated using different culture systems. Our group reported the induction of spermatogonial cell proliferation and differentiation to meiotic and postmeiotic stages in mice, rhesus monkeys, and prepubertal boys with cancer using 3D agar and methylcellulose (MCS) culture systems. The aim of the study was to identify the type of spermatogenic cells present in biopsies without sperm from SCOS patients, and to examine the possibility of inducing spermatogenesis from isolated spermatogonial cells of these biopsies in vitro using 3D MCS. We used nine biopsies without sperm from SCOS patients, and the presence of spermatogenic markers was evaluated by PCR and specific immunofluorescence staining analyses. Isolated testicular cells were cultured in MCS in the presence of StemPro enriched media with different growth factors and the development of colonies/clusters was examined microscopically. We examined the presence of cells from the different stages of spermatogenesis before and after culture in MCS for 3⁻7 weeks. Our results indicated that these biopsies showed the presence of premeiotic markers (two to seven markers/biopsy), meiotic markers (of nine biopsies, cAMP responsive element modulator-1 (CREM-1) was detected in five, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in five, and BOULE in three) and postmeiotic markers (protamine was detected in six biopsies and acrosin in three). In addition, we were able to induce the development of meiotic and/or postmeiotic stages from spermatogonial cells isolated from three biopsies. Thus, our study shows for the first time the presence of meiotic and/or postmeiotic cells in biopsies without the sperm of SCOS patients. Isolated cells from some of these biopsies could be induced to meiotic and/or postmeiotic stages under in vitro culture conditions.

Expert Opinion on Three Clinical Cases with a Common Urgent Problem: Urge Urinary Incontinence

Urgency is the cornerstone symptom of overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome, which is associated with reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and affects patients with different profiles. We report here three clinical pictures of OAB: a male patient with mixed lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), a young woman with comorbidities, and an elderly woman with mixed urinary incontinence. The aim is to analyze the specificities of these real cases, to discuss what would be the most appropriate management, and how treatment with fesoterodine, an antimuscarinic agent with key pharmacological properties, might meet the patients' expectations. Relevant and constructive messages are drawn: urgency, the cornerstone symptom, should be given special attention; fesoterodine is effective and well tolerated in the elderly; before switching to another medication consider increasing the dosage of fesoterodine; the major goal of initial therapy is to meet patient expectations; and involving the patient in the treatment plan increases her/his adherence.