Impact of low- or moderate-risk gonadotoxic chemotherapy prior to testicular tissue freezing on spermatogonia quantity in human (pre)pubertal testicular tissue.

STUDY QUESTION: What is the impact of low- or moderate-risk gonadotoxic chemotherapy received prior to testicular tissue freezing (TTF), and of the cancer itself, on spermatogonia quantity in testicular tissue from (pre)pubertal boys? SUMMARY ANSWER: Vincristine, when associated with alkylating agents, has an additional adverse effect on spermatogonia quantity, while carboplatin has no individual contribution to spermatogonia quantity, in testicular tissue of (pre)pubertal boys, when compared to patients who have received non-alkylating chemotherapy. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The improved survival rates after cancer treatment necessitate the inclusion of fertility preservation procedures as part of the comprehensive care for patients, taking into consideration their age. Sperm cryopreservation is an established procedure in post-pubertal males while the TTF proposed for (pre)pubertal boys remains experimental. Several studies exploring testicular tissue of (pre)pubertal boys after TTF have examined the tubular fertility index (TFI, percentage of seminiferous tubule cross-sections containing spermatogonia) and the number of spermatogonia per seminiferous tubule cross-section (S/T). All studies have demonstrated that TFI and S/T always decrease after the introduction of chemotherapeutic agents, especially those which carry high gonadotoxic risks such as alkylating agents. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Testicular tissue samples from 79 (pre)pubertal boys diagnosed with cancer (from 6 months to 16 years of age) were cryopreserved between May 2009 and June 2014. Their medical diagnoses and previous chemotherapy exposures were recorded. We examined histological sections of (pre)pubertal testicular tissue to elucidate whether the chemotherapy or the primary diagnosis affects mainly TFI and S/T. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: (Pre)pubertal boys with cancer diagnosis who had been offered TTF prior to conditioning treatment for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were included in the study. All the patients had previously received chemotherapy with low- or moderate-risk for future fertility. We have selected patients for whom the information on the chemotherapy received was complete. The quantity of spermatogonia and quality of testicular tissue were assessed by both morphological and immunohistochemical analyses. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: A significant reduction in the number of spermatogonia was observed in boys treated with alkylating agents. The mean S/T values in boys exposed to alkylating agents were significantly lower compared to boys exposed to non-alkylating agents (P = 0.018). In contrast, no difference was observed for patients treated with carboplatin as the sole administered alkylating agent compared to the group of patients exposed to non-alkylating agents. We observed an increase of S/T with age in the group of patients who did not receive any alkylating agent and a decrease of S/T with age when patients received alkylating agents included in the cyclophosphamide equivalent dose (CED) formula (r = 0.6166, P = 0.0434; r = -0.3759, P = 0.0036, respectively). The TFI and S/T decreased further in the group of patients who received vincristine in combination with alkylating agents (decrease of 22.4%, P = 0.0049 and P < 0.0001, respectively), but in this group the CED was also increased significantly (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis, after CED adjustment, showed the persistence of a decrease in TFI correlated with vincristine administration (P = 0.02). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: This is a descriptive study of testicular tissues obtained from (pre)pubertal boys who were at risk of infertility. The study population is quite heterogeneous, with a small number of patients in each sub-group. Our results are based on comparisons between patients receiving alkylating agents compared to patients receiving non-alkylating agents rather than chemotherapy-naive patients. The French national guidelines for fertility preservation in cancer patients recommend TTF before highly gonadotoxic treatment. Therefore, all the patients had received low- or moderate-risk gonadotoxic chemotherapy before TTF. Access to testicular tissue samples from chemotherapy-naive patients with comparable histological types of cancer was not possible. The functionality of spermatogonia and somatic cells could not be tested by transplantation or in vitro maturation due to limited sample sizes. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: This study summarizes the spermatogonial quantity of (pre)pubertal boys prior to TTF. We confirmed a negative correlation between the cumulative exposure to alkylating agents and spermatogonial quantity. In addition, the synergistic use of vincristine in combination with alkylating agents showed a cumulative deleterious effect on the TFI. For patients for whom fertility preservation is indicated, TTF should be proposed for chemotherapy with a predicted CED above 4000 mg/m2. However, the data obtained from vincristine and carboplatin use should be confirmed in a subsequent study including more patients. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This study had financial support from a French national research grant PHRC No. 2008/071/HP obtained by the French Institute of Cancer and the French Healthcare Organization. The sponsors played no role in the study. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Occupational exposure to organic solvents and the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors (TESTIS study): Effect of combined exposure assessment on risk estimation.

OBJECTIVES: Etiological factors of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) remain largely unknown, but a causal role of occupational exposures to solvents has been suggested. Previous studies analyzing these exposures reported discordant results, potentially related to exposure assessment methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of occupational exposure to solvents on the risk of developing TGCT among young men. METHODS: This study examined occupational exposures to solvents and TGCT risk based on the lifetime work histories of 454 cases and 670 controls, aged 18-45 years, of the French national TESTIS case-control study. Solvent exposure was estimated using: (i) exposure assignment by job-exposure matrix (JEM) and (ii) JEM combined with self-reported exposure data from specific questionnaires (SQ) and expert assessment (EA). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: Both approaches (JEM and JEM+SQ+EA) showed a consistent association between TGCT and trichloroethylene exposure (exposed versus not exposed; JEM=OR 1.80 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-2.90] and JEM+SQ+EA= OR 2.59 (95% CI 1.42-4.72). Both approaches also observed positive associations with ketone esters and fuels & petroleum-based solvents. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that some organic solvents might be involved in the pathogenesis of TGCT among occupationally exposed men. The combined use of JEM+SQ+EA seemed to limit misclassification by considering individual exposure variability and is, therefore, an appealing approach to assess occupational exposures in epidemiological studies.

Assessment of the architecture and integrity of frozen-thawed testicular tissue from (pre)pubertal boys with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Testicular tissue freezing is proposed for fertility preservation to (pre)pubertal boys with cancer before highly gonadotoxic treatment. Studies accurately comparing human (pre)pubertal testicular tissue quality before freezing and after thawing are exceptional. No study has reported this approach in a systematic manner and routine care. OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a control slow freezing protocol on testicular tissue architecture and integrity of (pre)pubertal boys after thawing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: (Pre)pubertal boys (n = 87) with cancer from 8 Reproductive Biology Laboratories of the French CECOS network benefited from testicular tissue freezing before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Seminiferous tubule cryodamage was determined histologically by scoring morphological alterations and by quantifying intratubular spermatogonia and the expression of DNA replication and repair marker in frozen-thawed testicular fragments. RESULTS: A significant increase in nuclear and epithelial score alterations was observed after thawing (p < 0.0001). The global lesional score remained lower than 1.5 and comparable to fresh testicular tissue. The number of intratubular spermatogonia and the expression of DNA replication and repair marker in spermatogonia and Sertoli cells did not vary significantly after thawing. These data showed the good preservation of the seminiferous tubule integrity and architecture after thawing, as previously reported in our studies performed in prepubertal mice and rats. DISCUSSION: The current study reports, for the first time, the development of a semi-quantitative analysis of cryodamage in human (pre)pubertal testicular tissue, using a rapid and useful tool that can be proposed in routine care to develop an internal and external quality control for testicular tissue freezing. This tool can also be used when changing one or several parameters of the freezing-thawing procedure. CONCLUSION: Control slow freezing protocol without seeding maintains the seminiferous tubule architecture and integrity, the concentration of spermatogonia and the expression of DNA replication and repair marker in spermatogonia and Sertoli cells after thawing.

Male partners of infertile couples with congenital unilateral absence of the vas deferens are mainly non-azoospermic.

BACKGROUND: Men with congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens were reported to be mainly azoospermic, with both unilateral renal absence and mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) but some have neither. OBJECTIVES: To assess whether in infertile couples the male partners with congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens are mainly azoospermic men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study in a unique university hospital; reproductive, clinical, CFTR analysis and seminal data of male partners of infertile couples (from 1998 to 2018) were analysed. Diagnosis of congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens was based on transrectal ultrasounds (TRUS): complete or partial absence of one vas deferens with complete contralateral vas deferens confirmed in 63 men. Distribution of sperm count in three classes: azoospermia, oligozoospermia or normozoospermia. Ultrasound determination of renal status; seminal biomarkers assays; and search for CFTR mutations. RESULTS: Among the 63 men, 39.7% displayed azoospermia, 27% oligozoospermia and 33.3% normozoospermia; 42% of the non-azoospermic men (16/38) had previously obtained a natural pregnancy. We found unilateral renal absence in 17/59 patients (29%). Among 50 men with CFTR testing, five carried an allele associated with cystic fibrosis belonging to the 29 men without renal anomalies, indicating a high allelic frequency (8.6%). The 63 patients displayed high rates of surgical histories for undescended testicles or inguinal hernia, low values of semen volume and of total seminal glycerophosphocholine. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that men with congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens mainly display oligozoospermia or normozoospermia and that they were previously fertile. They clearly confirm, first, that CFTR testing is recommended in congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens men and it should be mandatory for those with normal kidneys; and, second, that TRUS is needed for the diagnosis of congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens. As congenital unilateral absence of vas deferens may be present whatever the sperm count, biological warnings are represented by semen volume and seminal epididymal markers and clinical warnings by surgical histories of undescended testes or inguinal hernia.

Determining seminal plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 load in the context of efficient highly active antiretroviral therapy.

The semen plasma virus load is measured to ensure the safety of sperm processing during medically assisted procreation (MAP) for couples with a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected man. A practical, automated protocol using the COBAS Ampliprep CAP/CTM kit in the COBAS TaqMan96 system was developed to measure the HIV-1 load in semen plasma samples. HIV-1 was detected in 13.4% of the semen samples processed at our MAP center. Of the eight patients having a detectable semen HIV-1 load, five had no detectable virus in their blood plasma. This highlights the residual risk of HIV-1 transmission during unprotected intercourse and raises the question of the possible consequences of ineffective highly active antiretroviral therapy in the genital tract.

Noonan syndrome males display Sertoli cell-specific primary testicular insufficiency.

Context Abnormalities in the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis have long been reported in Noonan syndrome (NS) males with only few data available in prepubertal children. Objective The aim of this study was to describe the gonadal function of NS males from childhood to adulthood. Design It is a retrospective chart review. Patients and methods A total of 37 males with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of NS were included. Clinical and genetic features, as well as serum hormone levels (LH, FSH, testosterone, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), and inhibin B) were analysed. Results Of the 37 patients, 16 (43%) children had entered puberty at a median age of 13.5 years (range: 11.4-15.0 years); age at pubertal onset was negatively correlated with BMI SDS (r = -0.541; P = 0.022). In pubertal boys, testosterone levels were normal suggesting a normal Leydig cell function. In contrast, NS patients had significant lower levels of AMH (mean SDS: -0.6 ± 1.1; P = 0.003) and inhibin B (mean SDS: -1.1 ± 1.2; P < 0.001) compared with the general population, suggesting a Sertoli cell dysfunction. Lower AMH and inhibin B levels were found in NS-PTPN11 patients, whereas these markers did not differ from healthy children in SOS1 patients. No difference was found between cryptorchid and non-cryptorchid patients for AMH and inhibin B levels (P = 0.43 and 0.62 respectively). Four NS-PTPN11 patients had a severe primary hypogonadism with azoospermia/cryptozoospermia. Conclusions NS males display Sertoli cell-specific primary testicular insufficiency, whereas Leydig cell function seems to be unaffected.

Decreased semen volume and spermatozoa motility in HIV-1-infected patients under antiretroviral treatment.

Inconsistent results have been reported for the semen quality in HIV-infected men, due to the biases inherent in some studies. The objective of the present study was to investigate the semen parameters in HIV-1-infected patients and to compare their sperm characteristics with those of a control group of fertile, noninfected men. Factors implicated in semen alterations in HIV-1 patients were also analyzed. HIV-infected men (n=190), of whom 91% were undergoing antiretroviral therapy, and 218 fertile men were studied. Infertility risk factors were recorded and clinical examinations were performed for both groups. Records of history of HIV infection, antiretroviral treatment, and HIV-1 RNA detection in the blood as well as HIV-1 genome detection in the semen were obtained for the infected patients. Semen volumes, percentages of progressive motile spermatozoa, total sperm counts, and polymorphonuclear cell counts were decreased, while the pH values and spermatozoa multiple anomaly indices were increased in HIV-infected patients. Even after adjustment for possible sources of bias, the decreases in semen volume and progressive motility and the increase in pH remained significant. The present study demonstrates sperm motility and ejaculate volume alterations in HIV-1-infected patients, most of whom were receiving antiretroviral therapy. In HIV-1 patients, further longitudinal studies are required to analyze the impact of treatment regimen on sperm parameter alterations.

Good efficiency of intrauterine insemination programme for serodiscordant couples with HIV-1 infected male partner: a retrospective comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: Assisted reproduction techniques can minimize the risk of HIV female contamination when the male partner is HIV-infected. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of sperm washing and intrauterine insemination (IUI) in these couples. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective comparative study. Eighty-four HIV-1 serodicordant couples underwent 294 IUI. The control group was composed of 90 couples (320 IUI cycles) with donor sperm. Spermatozoa from HIV-1 infected male partner were prepared and tested for HIV-1 according to sperm washing method. Spermatozoa from HIV-1 and donor male were frozen before IUI. IUI were performed after ovarian stimulation. Main outcomes measures were pregnancy rate per cycle and baby take-home rate per couples. RESULTS: Although the pregnancy rate and baby take-home rate were higher in IUI with sperm washing than in IUI using donor sperm (18.0 versus 14.7 and 52.4 versus 41.1, respectively), the differences were not statistically significant. In serodiscordant couples, blood estradiol levels under ovarian stimulation and total motile sperm inseminated were a determining factor in achieving pregnancy. No female HIV-1 contamination occurred. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that sperm washing and IUI are highly effective in enabling serodiscordant couples with an HIV-1 infected male partner to have a child.

[Fertility before and after treatment of patients with Leydig cell tumour]. / Fertilité avant et après traitement des patients présentant une tumeur à cellule de Leydig.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term fertility status of patients treated for Leydig cell testicular tumour. MATERIAL AND METHODS: [corrected] In a series of 506 testicular tumours observed in the Midi-Pyrenées region between 1980 and 1998, 17 were Leydig cell tumours (3.3%) and constituted the study population. Andrological records were available for all patients. Information concerning fertility before and after orchidectomy was obtained by validated letter questionnaire. All patients completed the questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 84 months (range: 36-173). The mean age at diagnosis was 32 years (range: 24-51). The presenting symptom was gynaecomastia in 9 cases (53%), enlarged testis in 4 cases (24%), scrotal pain in 2 cases (12%) and male infertility in 2 cases (12%). Before onset of their disease, 13/17 (76.5%) patients had tried to have a child and 6 (46.2%) had successfully fathered a child. After treatment of their Leydig cell tumour, 10/17 (58.8%) had tried to have a child and 7 (70%) were successful. CONCLUSION: The population of men with Leydig cell tumour of the testis is a population with decreased fertility before treatment of the tumour. Resection of the tumour improves this situation, but 3 out of 10 patients remain infertile, indicating the need for semen storage measures in this population.

Patterns of residual HIV-1 RNA shedding in the seminal plasma of patients on effective antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: More and more HIV-1-infected men on effective antiretroviral treatment (ART) have unprotected sex in order to procreate. The main factor influencing transmission is seminal HIV shedding. While the risk of HIV transmission is very low, it is difficult to assess in individuals. Nevertheless, it should be quantified. RESULTS: We retrospectively analysed seminal plasma HIV-1 shedding by 362 treated HIV-infected men attending a medically assisted reproduction centre (1998-2013) in order to determine its frequency, the impact of the antiretroviral regimen on HIV shedding, and to identify shedding patterns. The HIV-1 virus loads in 1396 synchronized blood and semen samples were measured, and antiretroviral treatment, biological and epidemiological data were recorded. We detected isolated HIV-1 shedding into the seminal plasma in 5.3% of patients on efficient antiretroviral treatment, but there was no association with the HIV antiretroviral drug regimen or the CD4 cell count. These men had undergone more regimen changes since treatment initiation and had been on the ongoing drug regimen longer than the non-shedding men. The patterns of HIV seminal shedding among patients with undetectable HIV blood virus load varied greatly. HIV seminal shedding can occur as long as 5 years after starting antiretroviral treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The seminal HIV load was used to monitor risk for infertile HIV-infected patients on an assisted reproductive technology program. This can still be recommended for patients who recently (6 months) started ART, or those with a poor history of adherence to ART but may also be usefull for some patients during counselling. Residual HIV seminal shedding is probably linked to breaks in adherence to antiretroviral treatment but local genital factors cannot be ruled out.

RÉSUMÉ: De plus en plus d'hommes sous traitement antirétroviral (ART) ont des rapports sexuels non protégés à des fins de procréation. Le principal déterminant de la transmission sexuelle est. l'excrétion séminale du VIH. Malgré un risque de transmission très faible, il reste difficile à évaluer au niveau individuel. Dans ce contexte, l'étude de l'excrétion séminale du VIH, notamment chez des hommes sous traitement antirétroviral, est. d'un grand intérêt. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons analysé rétrospectivement l'excrétion séminale du HIV chez 362 hommes sous traitement antirétroviral consultant un centre d'assistance médicale à la procréation (1998­2013) pour déterminer sa fréquence, l'impact des antirétroviraux sur l'excrétion du HIV et identifier les profils d'excrétion. Les charges virales HIV-1 ont été mesurées dans 1396 échantillons de sang et de sperme prélevés concomitamment et les traitements, les données biologiques et épidémiologiques recueillis. Nous avons détecté une excrétion dans le plasma séminal isolée chez 5,3% des patients sous traitement antirétroviral efficace mais nous n'avons pas trouvé d'association avec la composition du traitement antirétroviral ou le taux de lymphocytes T CD4+. Ces hommes avaient eu plus de changements thérapeutiques et leur traitement avait été instauré depuis plus longtemps que pour les hommes non excréteurs. Les profils d'excrétion séminale du HIV parmi les patients avec une charge virale indétectable dans le sang étaient très variables. L'excrétion séminale du HIV peut survenir jusqu'à 5 ans après l'instauration du premier traitement antirétroviral. CONCLUSIONS: La charge virale séminale du HIV était l'outil classique d'évaluation du risque viral de transmission pour les patients infertiles infectés par HIV et inclus dans les programmes d'assistance médicale à la procréation. Ceci peut continuer à être recommandé chez les patients ayant débuté un traitement antirétroviral dans les 6 mois précédent ou chez ceux avec des antécédents de mauvaise adhérence au traitement mais peut aussi être utile pour le conseil de certains patients. Le risque résiduel d'excrétion séminale du HIV est. probablement lié à des défauts d'adhérence au traitement antirétroviral mais des facteurs génitaux ne peuvent pas être éliminés.

Diagnosis of Partial Retrograde Ejaculation in Non-Azoospermic Infertile Men with Low Semen Volume.

In non-azoospermic patients with low semen volume (LSV), looking for partial retrograde ejaculation (PRE) by searching sperm in the postejaculatory urine (PEU) is required. The use of a retro-ejaculatory index (R-ratio) was suggested to define PRE, but none of the studies indicated a specific threshold above which PRE must be considered. Our objective was to propose a threshold value for the R-ratio as indicative of PRE in patients with LSV selected to be devoid of any known causes or risk factors for retrograde ejaculation or LSV. Among our data base (2000-2009) including 632 patients with PEU, 245 male patients from infertile couples who had had a first semen analysis with LSV (< 2mL) and a second semen analysis associated with PEU, were selected on the previous criteria. A prospective control group was randomly constituted (2007-2008) of 162 first consulting male patients from infertile couples, with a normal semen volume (≥ 2mL) on a first semen analysis and who accepted to collect PEU with their usual second semen analysis, selected on the previous criteria. To define an R-ratio threshold indicative of PRE, we used a ROC curve analysis and a regression tree based on a classification and regression tree (CART) algorithm. Of the 245 LSV patients, 146 still presented low semen volume (< 2 mL) on the second semen analysis. From the use of the CART algorithm, two low (1.5% and 2.8%) and two high R-values (7.1% and 8.3%) were defined, according to the lower reference limit for semen volume of 2.0 mL (WHO 1999) or 1.5 mL (WHO 2010) respectively. As only one or no patient with normal semen volume was observed above the two high R-values, we suggest an R-value higher than the range of [7.1-8.3]% as indicative of PRE until confirmation by a prospective multicenter study.

Sperm aneuploidy after testicular cancer treatment: data from a prospective multicenter study performed within the French Centre d'Étude et de Conservation des Oeufs et du Sperme network.

OBJECTIVE: To study sperm aneuploidy in a population of testicular cancer (TC) patients treated with the use of either bleomycin-etoposide-cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy or radiotherapy. DESIGN: Multicenter prospective longitudinal study of TC patients analyzed before treatment and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months (T3-T24). PATIENT(S): Fifty-four TC patients and a control group of 10 fertile sperm donors. SETTING: University hospital laboratories. INTERVENTION(S): Routine semen analyses; sperm aneuploidy and diploidy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Comparison of sperm characteristics and sperm chromosome abnormalities during TC patient follow-up. RESULT(S): Semen characteristics recovered pretreatment values 12 months after radiotherapy and 24 months after more than two BEP cycles. A significant increase in sperm disomy YY and XX was observed in the TC group before treatment compared with the control group. After more than two BEP cycles, the mean sperm aneuploidy rate increased significantly at T12 and reached the pretreatment value at T24. After radiotherapy, the mean sperm aneuploidy returned to the pretreatment value at T12. At T24, nearly 40% of TC patients did not recover their pretreatment sperm aneuploidy rate. CONCLUSION(S): Genetic counseling of TC patients should include information on the potential elevated risk of aneuploid conceptus from sperm recovered after treatment and the necessity to postpone conception up to ≥12 months after radiotherapy and ≥24 months after more than two BEP chemotherapy cycles. However, few men receiving one or two BEP cycles and some dropouts are the main limitations of this study.

The spectrum of renal involvement in male patients with infertility related to excretory-system abnormalities: phenotypes, genotypes, and genetic counseling.

BACKGROUND: While reproductive technologies are increasingly used worldwide, epidemiologic, clinical and genetic data regarding infertile men with combined genital tract and renal abnormalities remain scarce, preventing adequate genetic counseling. METHODS: In a cohort-based study, we assessed the prevalence (1995-2014) and the clinical characteristics of renal disorders in infertile males with genital tract malformation. In a subset of 34 patients, we performed a detailed phenotype analysis of renal and genital tract disorders. RESULTS: Among the 180 patients with congenital uni- or bilateral absence of vas deferens (CU/BAVD), 45 (25 %) had a renal malformation. We also identified 14 infertile men with combined seminal vesicle (SV) and renal malformation but no CU/BAVD. Among the 34 patients with detailed clinical description, renal disease was unknown before the assessment of the infertility in 27 (79.4 %), and 7 (20.6 %) had chronic renal failure. Four main renal phenotypes were observed: solitary kidney (47 %); autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD, 0.6 %); uni- or bilateral hypoplastic kidneys (20.6 %); and a complex renal phenotype associated with a mutation of the HNF1B gene (5.8 %). Absence of SV and azoospermia were significantly associated with the presence of a solitary kidney, while dilatation of SV and necroasthenozoospermia were suggestive of ADPKD. CONCLUSION: A dominantly inherited renal disease (ADPKD or HNF1B-related nephropathy) is frequent in males with infertility and combined renal and genital tract abnormalities (26 %). A systematic renal screening should be proposed in infertile males with CU/BAVD or SV disorders.

Impact of Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma and their treatments on sperm aneuploidy: a prospective study by the French CECOS network.

OBJECTIVE: To assess sperm production and aneuploidy in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) before and after treatments. DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective, longitudinal study of lymphoma patients analyzed before treatment and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. SETTING: University hospitals. PATIENT(S): Forty-five HL and 13 NHL patients were investigated before and after treatment. Treatment regimens were classified in two groups: ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) with or without (±) radiotherapy, and CHOP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone)/MOPP-ABV (mechlorethamine, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone-doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine). A control group of 29 healthy men was also studied. INTERVENTION(S): Semen analyses and aneuploidy study by FISH were performed at each time point. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Comparison of mean sperm characteristics and percentage of sperm aneuploidy rates before and after treatment. RESULT(S): Before treatment, HL and NHL men had altered semen characteristics and higher sperm aneuploidy rates (median 0.76 [interquartile range 0.56-0.64]) than the control group (0.54 [0.46-0.74]). After treatment, sperm production was significantly lowered 3 and 6 months after ABVD ± radiotherapy or CHOP/MOPP-ABV. After ABVD ± radiotherapy, the aneuploidy rate increased significantly only at 3 months, and values obtained 1 or 2 years later were lower than pretreatment values. In contrast, in the CHOP/MOPP-ABV treatment group, semen characteristics and aneuploidy rate did not return to normal levels until 2 years after treatment. CONCLUSION(S): Lymphoma itself has consequences on sperm aneuploidy frequency before treatment. Moreover, lymphoma treatments have deleterious effects on sperm chromosomes related to treatment type and time since treatment. Patient counseling is essential concerning the transient but significant sperm aneuploidy induced by lymphoma and its treatments.

Sperm cryopreservation in adolescents and young adults with cancer: results of the French national sperm banking network (CECOS).

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of fertility preservation in adolescent males with cancer. DESIGN: Large multicenter retrospective study of male patients ≤20 years from 23 centers of a national network of sperm banks over a 34-year period. SETTING: Sperm banks. PATIENT(S): A total of 4,345 boys and young men aged 11 to 20 years. INTERVENTION(S): Age, cancer diagnosis, feasibility of sperm banking, and sperm parameters. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Description of patients, and success of their fertility preservation. RESULT(S): We observed a mean yearly increase in referred patients of 9.5% (95% confidence interval, 9.1%-9.8%) between 1973 and 2007. Over the study period, the percentage of younger cancer patients who banked their sperm increased, especially in the 11-14 year age group, rising from 1% in 1986 to 9% in 2006. We found that 4,314 patients attempted to produce a semen sample, 4,004 succeeded, and sperm was banked for 3,616. The mean total sperm count was 61.75 × 10(6) for the 11-14 year age group, and 138.81 × 10(6) for the 18-20 year age group. It was noteworthy that intercenter variations in practices involving young patients seeking to preserve their fertility before cancer therapy were observed within this national network. CONCLUSION(S): Our results emphasize the need for decisive changes in public health policy to facilitate the access to reproductive health-care for young cancer patients.

Factors of intermittent HIV-1 excretion in semen and efficiency of sperm processing in obtaining spermatozoa without HIV-1 genomes.

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors for HIV-1 in semen according to the localization of HIV-1 in sperm cell fractions and to assess the efficiency of sperm processing in obtaining spermatozoa without HIV-1 genomes. METHODS: Ninety-four HIV-infected patients provided 281 paired blood and semen samples. Sperm cell separation was performed using two successive methods. HIV-1 RNA was quantified in blood and seminal plasma. HIV-1 RNA and DNA were detected in cell fractions. RESULTS: HIV-1 RNA was found in 14% of seminal plasma samples and up to 8.7% of native semen cells were positive for HIV-1 RNA and DNA. Ten seminal plasma samples had detectable RNA although blood viral load was undetectable. Antiretroviral treatment reduced the likelihood of RNA detection in seminal plasma. For semen with polynuclear cells and HIV-1 RNA in seminal plasma, the likelihood of detecting HIV-1 genomes in semen cells was increased fourfold and sixfold, respectively. In 25% of patients, HIV-1 excretion was intermittent. In the group of patients with systematic negative seminal plasma, HIV-1 genomes were detected in up to 10% of sperm cell samples. Our method of sperm processing always enabled us to obtain spermatozoa without detectable HIV-1 genomes. CONCLUSIONS: Polynuclear cells in semen are a risk factor for seminal HIV-1 excretion. Blood viral load was the only predictive factor for the intermittence of HIV-1 excretion in semen over time. Sperm processing using two successive methods was effective in obtaining spermatozoa without detectable HIV-1 genomes regardless of the viral load level in native semen.

Insemination with isolated and virologically tested spermatozoa is a safe way for human immunodeficiency type 1 virus-serodiscordant couples with an infected male partner to have a child.

OBJECTIVE: To enable serodiscordant couples to reproduce while minimizing the risk of infecting the female partner and to demonstrate the feasibility of including these couples in an insemination program. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up study. SETTING: Ambulatory IUIs. PATIENT(S): Fifty-six HIV-1-serodiscordant couples with a male infected partner. INTERVENTION(S): Sperm cell separation by the gradient density method followed by the swim-up method, virological detection, and IUI after ovarian stimulation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Pregnancy rate, HIV-1 test, and p24 antigenemia in women. RESULT(S): Two hundred thirteen IUIs were performed, and 37 pregnancies occurred, resulting in 33 births and 2 ongoing pregnancies. Fifty percent of couples have a child. No women were infected. CONCLUSION(S): Our study demonstrates the efficiency of an IUI program with prepared and virologically tested spermatozoa in serodiscordant couples with an HIV-1-infected male partner, allowing the couples to have children without transmission of the virus to the female partner.

Intermittent human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) shedding in semen and efficiency of sperm processing despite high seminal HIV-1 RNA levels.

To study seminal excretion of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) during 4 years of follow-up in an HIV-1-infected patient, the relationship between high viral excretion and inflammatory status of semen, and the efficiency of sperm processing methods in obtaining spermatozoa with undetectable RNA and proviral DNA levels. Case report. University hospital and research group on human fertility. One HIV-1-infected patient.Paired blood and semen samples were obtained during 4 years of follow-up.CD4 cell count; blood and seminal plasma viral load; and HIV-1 RNA and proviral DNA in different cell fractions obtained during sperm processing, as measured by the density gradient method and the swim-up method; sperm parameters; and polymorphonuclear granulocyte count. Shedding of HIV-1 in semen was intermittent. The highest seminal viral loads were associated with a markedly increased polymorphonuclear granulocyte count, which reflects inflammation of the genital tract. Spermatozoa with undetectable levels of HIV-1 RNA or DNA were obtained regardless of the viral load in semen. In an HIV-1-infected man with intermittent seminal viral excretion, sperm processing was effective in obtaining spermatozoa without detectable HIV-1 genomes.

Impact of lymphoma treatments on spermatogenesis and sperm deoxyribonucleic acid: a multicenter prospective study from the CECOS network.

OBJECTIVE: To determine consequences of lymphoma treatments on sperm characteristics and sperm DNA, and to evaluate predictors of sperm recovery. DESIGN: Multicenter prospective longitudinal study of patients analyzed before treatment and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. SETTING: University hospitals. PATIENT(S): Seventy-five Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients and a control group of 257 fertile men. INTERVENTION(S): Semen analyses, and sperm DNA and chromatin assessments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Comparisons of sperm characteristics before and after treatment. RESULT(S): Patients already had altered sperm characteristics before lymphoma treatment, with no identified risk factor. Sperm count, total sperm count, motility, and vitality decreased after treatment, with lowest values at 3 and 6 months. Twelve months after treatment, mean sperm count recovered to pretreatment values after doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, darcarbacine (ABVD) or ABVD+radiotherapy, but not after doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone (CHOP) or mechlorethamine, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone (MOPP) chemotherapies. It was noteworthy that 7% of patients remained azoospermic at 24 months. After 24 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates showed that more than 90% of patients will recover normal sperm count after ABVD or ABVD+radiotherapy vs. 61% for CHOP chemotherapies. In multivariate analyses including diagnosis and treatment protocol, only pretreatment total sperm count was related to recovery. Compared with a control group, lymphoma patients had higher sperm chromatin alterations and DNA fragmentation before any treatment. After treatment, DNA fragmentation assessed by TUNEL assay and sperm chromatin structure assay decreased from 3 and 6 months, respectively, while remaining higher than in the control group during follow-up. CONCLUSION(S): Lymphoma patients had altered sperm DNA and chromatin before treatment. Lymphoma treatment had damaging effects on spermatogenesis. These data on both the recovery period according to treatment modalities and the pre- and post-treatment chromatin status of sperm are useful tools for counseling patients wishing to conceive.

Impact of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for testicular germ cell tumors on spermatogenesis and sperm DNA: a multicenter prospective study from the CECOS network.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the consequences of adjuvant testicular germ cell tumor treatment (TGCT) on sperm characteristics and sperm DNA, and to evaluate the predictors of sperm recovery. DESIGN: Multicenter prospective longitudinal study of patients analyzed before treatment and after 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. SETTING: University hospitals. PATIENT(S): One hundred twenty-nine volunteer TGCT patients and a control group of 257 fertile men. INTERVENTION(S): Routine semen analyses, sperm DNA, and chromatin assessments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Comparisons of mean sperm characteristics before and after treatment, with sperm recovery analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULT(S): The quantitative and qualitative sperm characteristics decreased after treatment, with lowest values at 3 and 6 months and with variations according to treatment type. The mean total sperm count recovered to pretreatment values at 12 months after treatment after two or fewer bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) cycles, but not after radiotherapy or more than two BEP cycles. Only the treatment modalities and pretreatment sperm production were related to recovery of the World Health Organization reference sperm values. An increased proportion of patients had elevated high sperm DNA stainability at 6 months after radiotherapy. CONCLUSION(S): Adjuvant treatments for testicular germ cell tumor have drastic effects on spermatogenesis and sperm chromatin quality. These new data on both the recovery period according to treatment modalities and the post-treatment chromatin status of sperm are useful tools for counseling patients wishing to conceive.