Zhang Wei, Ou Ningjing, Liang Zhen, Hu Rui, Song Yuxuan, Yang Yongjiao, Liu Xiaoqiang
Department of Urology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China.
Department of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
Andrologia. 2020 Dec;52(11):e13792. doi: 10.1111/and.13792. Epub 2020 Aug 11.
The main purpose of this project is to verify whether there is a difference in the expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) between varicocele (VC) and normal male semen, and determine whether there is a connection with the parameters of semen analysis. The risk factors of infertility in patients with VC were also studied. Semen samples were collected for semen analysis and Western blot. Logistic regression was used to investigate the risk factors associated with infertility in patients with VC. Men with VC had lower AhR expression compared to healthy men; correlation analysis results showed that: AhR expression in patients with VC group was significantly positively correlated with sperm concentration and sperm motility; significantly negatively correlated with the diameter of spermatic veins during Valsalva and the percentage of abnormal sperm morphology; the research results of related risk factors show that the risk of infertility of patients with grade III is 1.67 times that of patients with grades I and II. For each unit of abnormal sperm morphology, the risk of infertility increases 1.04 times. Sperm concentration, total sperm viability and each unit the expression of AhR protein decreases the risk of infertility by 3%, 9% and 11% respectively.
本项目的主要目的是验证精索静脉曲张（VC）患者与正常男性精液中芳烃受体（AhR）的表达是否存在差异，并确定其与精液分析参数是否存在关联。同时，还研究了VC患者不孕的危险因素。收集精液样本进行精液分析和蛋白质免疫印迹法检测。采用逻辑回归分析来研究VC患者不孕的相关危险因素。与健康男性相比，VC患者的AhR表达较低；相关性分析结果显示：VC组患者的AhR表达与精子浓度和精子活力呈显著正相关；与瓦尔萨尔瓦动作时精索静脉直径及异常精子形态百分比呈显著负相关；相关危险因素的研究结果表明，III级患者不孕的风险是I级和II级患者的1.67倍。每增加一个单位的异常精子形态，不孕风险增加1.04倍。精子浓度、精子总活力以及AhR蛋白每单位表达量分别使不孕风险降低3%、9%和11%。
