Genetic Studies Spermatogenic Failure

October 24, 2007 updated by: National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

The proposed study is designed to test the following hypotheses:

  1. Mouse autosomal or X-linked genes which are exclusively expressed in mouse spermatogonia are also spermatogonia-specific in human.
  2. Severe spermatogenic defect, especially hypospermatogenesis or SCOS, is caused by an intrinsic defect in germ line stem cell or speramtogenia.
  3. Spermatogonia-specific genes are caudate genes for human spermatogenic defect, especially for hypospermatogenesis or SCOS.
  4. For a significant fraction of cases with severe spermatogenic defect, the sterile genes are transmitted via multifactorial inheritance mode.
  5. For some cases with severe spermatogenic defect, mutations of spermatogonia- specific genes may be transmitted in the X-linked recessive, autosomal recessive, or autosomal dominant mode.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Between 2% and 12% of couples worldwide are affected by reduced fertility. Men who have defects in sperm production (spermatogenic defect) account for about half of these cases. In Drosophila and mouse, targeted disruptions of numerous sterility- associated genes have been created. Physiological studies in the Drosophila and in mouse also indicate that spermatogenesis is subjected to complex regulation, and male infertility may result from aberrant regulatory events. In the human being, deletions of the Y chromosome account for only 10% of cases with spermatogenic defect, and etiologies of remaining 90% of cases are still unknown. It is evident that multiple genes are involved in male infertility. For cases with severe spermatogenic defect , testicular histology shows either decreased number of germ cells in all developmental stages (hypospermatogenesis) or complete absence of germ cells (Sertoli cell only syndrome or SCOS). It appears that there is an intrinsic defect which causes depletion of germ-line stem cells (spermatogonia) for cases with hypospermatogenesis or SCOS. Of 25 genes exclusively expressed in mouse spermatogonia, 3 are Y-linked, 10 are X-linked, and only 12 are distributed on autosomes.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

283

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Tainan, Taiwan
        • National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

10 years to 56 years (Child, Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Patient visited our outpatient clinic

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Men with oligozoospermia(<2*10^7/ml) or azoospermia

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Abnormal karyotypes
  • Obvious genital trauma history
  • Genital hernia
  • Other recognizable causes of male infertility

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Case-Control
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Genotype/phenotype correlation of Y-linked AZF candidates and estrogen-related genes
Time Frame: At the time of visiting OPD
At the time of visiting OPD

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Role of significant candidate genes in human spermatogenesis
Time Frame: At the time of drawing blood
At the time of drawing blood

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Paolin Kuo, MD

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2001

Study Completion (Actual)

February 1, 2005

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 24, 2007

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 24, 2007

First Posted (Estimate)

October 25, 2007

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

October 25, 2007

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 24, 2007

Last Verified

October 1, 2007

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • NCKUH-1

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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