Xu Jian, Qi Lihua, Chi Xiaochun, Yang Jingjing, Wei Xiaohong, Gong Encong, Peh Suatcheng, Gu Jiang
Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Biol Reprod. 2006 Feb;74(2):410-6. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.105.044776. Epub 2005 Oct 19.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus has been known to damage multiple organs; however, little is known about its impact on the reproductive system. In the present study, we analyzed the pathological changes of testes from six patients who died of SARS. Results suggested that SARS caused orchitis. All SARS testes displayed widespread germ cell destruction, few or no spermatozoon in the seminiferous tubule, thickened basement membrane, and leukocyte infiltration. The numbers of CD3+ T lymphocytes and CD68+ macrophages increased significantly in the interstitial tissue compared with the control group (P < 0.05). SARS viral genomic sequences were not detected in the testes by in situ hybridization. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated abundant IgG precipitation in the seminiferous epithelium of SARS testes, indicating possible immune response as the cause for the damage. Our findings indicated that orchitis is a complication of SARS. It further suggests that the reproductive functions should be followed and evaluated in recovered male SARS patients.
严重急性呼吸综合征（SARS）冠状病毒已知会损害多个器官；然而，其对生殖系统的影响却知之甚少。在本研究中，我们分析了6例死于SARS患者的睾丸病理变化。结果表明，SARS可导致睾丸炎。所有SARS患者的睾丸均显示广泛的生殖细胞破坏，生精小管内精子极少或无精子，基底膜增厚，并有白细胞浸润。与对照组相比，间质组织中CD3 + T淋巴细胞和CD68 +巨噬细胞数量显著增加（P < 0.05）。原位杂交未在睾丸中检测到SARS病毒基因组序列。免疫组化显示SARS患者睾丸生精上皮中有大量IgG沉淀，表明可能是免疫反应导致了损伤。我们的研究结果表明，睾丸炎是SARS的一种并发症。这进一步提示，对于康复的男性SARS患者，应跟踪并评估其生殖功能。
