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New fibrous sheath anomaly in spermatozoa of men with consanguinity.

Escalier D, Albert M

Functional and Molecular Histology, Paris 5 University, Andrology Laboratory, Hospital Kremlin-Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France. denise.escalier@univ-paris5.fr

OBJECTIVE: The cause of the sperm motility impairment was investigated in infertile men. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University-based andrology laboratory. PATIENTS: Two unrelated consanguineous patients. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The sperm flagella lengths were measured using quantitative analysis software and their ultrastructural anomalies were quantitatively recorded. RESULT(S): A total of 67.5% of the flagella were truncated, and 100% lacked the medium region of the ribs of the fibrous sheath. CONCLUSION(S): The data suggested a morphogenetic anomaly at the stage where rib precursors are formed during spermiogenesis. The consanguinity of these patients suggested a genetic origin for this newly discovered anomaly of the human sperm's fibrous sheath. The family tree appears to indicate an autosomal recessive inheritance.

Published 4 July 2006 in Fertil Steril, 86(1): 219.e1-9.
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