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Expression of the HSPA2 gene in ejaculated spermatozoa from adolescents with and without varicocele.

Lima SB, Cenedeze MA, Bertolla RP, Filho PA, Oehninger S, Cedenho AP

Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, Brazil. samirabl@uol.com.br <samirabl@uol.com.br>

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate mRNA expression of the HSPA2 gene in ejaculated spermatozoa in adolescents with and without varicocele. DESIGN: Controlled prospective study. SETTING: Patients in an academic research environment. PATIENTS: Adolescent patients with clinical diagnosed bilateral varicocele grades II and III, and adolescent patients without varicocele. INTERVENTION: Reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of HSPA2 gene expression in adolescents with and without varicocele. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Comparative RT-PCR expression analysis of HSPA2 gene mRNA, compared to the housekeeping beta-actin gene. RESULTS: Sperm from adolescents with varicocele and oligozoospermia had significantly lower levels of HSPA2 gene expression than both adolescents without varicocele (controls) and adolescents with varicocele and normal sperm concentration (P<.05). The latter group had a nonsignificant increase in gene expression compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report on HSPA2 gene expression in ejaculated spermatozoa from adolescents and its relationship with varicocele pathology. Results demonstrated that HSPA2 expression was down-regulated in adolescents with varicocele and oligozoospermia compared to controls. There was a higher, albeit nonsignificant, gene expression in adolescents with varicocele and normal sperm concentration than in controls. We speculate that expression levels of this gene might be used as a molecular marker for the acquisition of thermal tolerance in ejaculated spermatozoa.

Published 27 November 2006 in Fertil Steril, 86(6): 1659-63.
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