Mitochondrial dysfunction signatures in idiopathic primary male infertility: a validated proteomics-based diagnostic approach.

Research Question: Male infertility accounts for almost half of all infertility cases worldwide, with idiopathic male infertility accounting for up to 30% of the cases. Sperm proteomics has revealed critical molecular pathway changes in men with infertility. However, the sperm mitochondrial proteome remains poorly understood.

Combination clomiphene citrate and anastrozole duotherapy improves semen parameters in a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort of infertile men.

In men with impaired semen parameters, empiric medical therapies such as clomiphene citrate, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), and anastrozole, a selective aromatase inhibitor, are often employed. The effects of jointly administering these agents on semen parameters are not well understood. Here, we describe the findings of our multi-center, retrospective cohort study of men with idiopathic primary or secondary infertility.

The Evolving Landscape of Male Varicocele Pathophysiology in the Era of Multi-Omics: A Narrative Review of the Current Literature.

Male-factor infertility is implicated in over half of the millions of cases of infertility worldwide, and varicoceles are the most common correctable cause of male-factor infertility. The pathophysiologic mechanism for varicoceles is complex and next-generation technologies offer promising insights into the molecular underpinnings of this condition. In this narrative review, we highlight historical and contemporary paradigms associated with varicoceles, with an emphasis on the biological underpinnings of this disease.

The effect of red blood cell disorders on male fertility and reproductive health.

Male infertility is defined as a failure to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse owing to suspected male reproductive factors. Non-malignant red blood cell disorders are systemic conditions that have been associated with male infertility with varying severity and strength of evidence. Hereditary haemoglobinopathies and bone marrow failure syndromes have been associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dysfunction, hypogonadism, and abnormal sperm parameters.

Penile prostheses harbor biofilms driven by individual variability and manufacturer even in the absence of clinical infection.

Background: Culture-based studies have shown that penile prostheses harbor biofilms in the presence and absence of infection, but these findings have not been adequately validated using contemporary microbiome analytic techniques.

Aim: The study sought to characterize microbial biofilms of indwelling penile prosthesis devices according to patient factors, device components, manufacturer, and infection status.

Methods: Upon penile prostheses surgical explantation, device biofilms were extracted, sonicated, and characterized using shotgun metagenomics and culture-based approaches.

Deafening Silence of Male Infertility.

Think about 6 loved ones of reproductive age in your life. Now imagine that 1 of these 6 individuals is suffering from infertility. Perhaps they feel alone and isolated, unable to discuss their heartbreak with their closest friends, family, and support network.

Testosterone and luteinizing hormone predict semen parameter improvement in infertile men treated with anastrozole.

Objective: To identify patient factors associated with a clinically significant improvement in semen parameters among infertile men treated with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole.

Design: Multi-institutional retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Two Tertiary Academic Medical Centers.

Discordant Bilateral Testicular Pathology Does not Affect Sperm Retrieval Rate in Bilateral Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction (mTESE).

Objective: To assess the incidence of discordant testicular pathology in men undergoing bilateral microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) and association with sperm retrieval rate.

Methods: We performed a retrospective single-institutional review of all patients undergoing mTESE from 2007 to 2021 and aggregated clinical history, physical exam, semen analysis, and operative findings. Specimens with discordant pathology were re-reviewed by an experienced genitourinary.

Novel sperm chromatin dispersion test with artificial intelligence-aided halo evaluation: A comparison study with existing modalities.

Background: Sperm chromatin dispersion test is a common and inexpensive technique to assess sperm DNA fragmentation, but its subjectivity in assessing a small number of spermatozoa is a disadvantage.

Objectives: To study the efficacy of a new sperm chromatin dispersion test kit (R10) combined with an artificial intelligence-aided halo-evaluation platform (X12) and compare the results to those of existing sperm DNA fragmentation testing methods.

Materials And Methods: Semen samples from normozoospermic donors (n = 10) and infertile men with abnormal semen parameters (n = 10) were enrolled.

Rising vasectomy volume following reversal of federal protections for abortion rights in the United States.

In June 2022 the United States Supreme Court issued a ruling in the case Dobbs v. Jackson that overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling establishing a federally protected right to abortion in the United States.

The Diversity of Vasectomy Reversal Providers and Their Web-based Advertising Habits in the United States.

Objective: To better understand the internet advertising material published on clinician websites for the 30,000 men who undergo evaluation for vasectomy reversal (VR), which is a technically demanding procedure requiring microsurgical expertise.

Methods: Internet search trends for "vasectomy" and "vasectomy reversal" from 2004 to 2022 were assessed using Google Trends. Search engines were then queried on a state-by-state basis for physicians performing VR and the available information aggregated and analyzed using standard statistical approaches.

Consensus and Diversity in the Management of Varicocele for Male Infertility: Results of a Global Practice Survey and Comparison with Guidelines and Recommendations.

Purpose: Varicocele is a common problem among infertile men. Varicocele repair (VR) is frequently performed to improve semen parameters and the chances of pregnancy. However, there is a lack of consensus about the diagnosis, indications for VR and its outcomes.

The Omission of Genitourinary Physical Exam in Telehealth Pre-Vasectomy Consults Does not Reduce Rates of Office Procedure Completion.

Objective: To determine whether the omission of preprocedure genitourinary exam for vasectomy inherent to a virtual consultation reduces the likelihood of successfully completing in-office vasectomy. Currently, the AUA Vasectomy guidelines encourage in-person examination when possible, though COVID-19 has catalyzed the uptake of virtual consultations at many institutions. We hypothesized that rates of completed in-office vasectomy do not significantly differ between patients examined during consultation in the office and those seen virtually with no exam.

Men With Chronic Orchialgia Exhibit Differential Neuroinflammatory Gene Expression Relative to Asymptomatic Controls.

Objective: To identify differences in neuroinflammatory gene expression in individuals with chronic orchialgia (CO) compared to asymptomatic controls.

Methods: Vas deferens, spermatic cord fascia, blood, and urine were collected from 9 men with CO at time of microscopic spermatic cord denervation and 7 asymptomatic controls at time of vasectomy. RNA was isolated and analyzed with the NanoString Human Neuroinflammation panel.

Male-specific late effects in adult hematopoietic cell transplantation recipients: a systematic review from the Late Effects and Quality of Life Working Committee of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and Transplant Complications Working Party of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Male-specific late effects after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) include genital chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), hypogonadism, sexual dysfunction, infertility, and subsequent malignancies. They may be closely intertwined and cause prolonged morbidity and decreased quality of life after HCT. We provide a systematic review of male-specific late effects in a collaboration between transplant physicians, endocrinologists, urologists, dermatologists, and sexual health professionals through the Late Effects and Quality of Life Working Committee of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research, and the Transplant Complications Working Party of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Follicle-stimulating hormone modestly predicts improvement in semen parameters in men with infertility treated with clomiphene citrate.

Clomiphene citrate is a commonly prescribed empiric medical therapy for male infertility, but outcomes data and response rates remain incompletely understood. We retrospectively reviewed our single-institutional experience of infertile men prescribed clomiphene. Clomiphene treatment in the final cohort of 140 men was associated with a modest increase in median sperm concentration from 2.

Post-Vasectomy Semen Analysis: Optimizing Laboratory Procedures and Test Interpretation through a Clinical Audit and Global Survey of Practices.

Purpose: The success of vasectomy is determined by the outcome of a post-vasectomy semen analysis (PVSA). This article describes a step-by-step procedure to perform PVSA accurately, report data from patients who underwent post vasectomy semen analysis between 2015 and 2021 experience, along with results from an international online survey on clinical practice.

Materials And Methods: We present a detailed step-by-step protocol for performing and interpretating PVSA testing, along with recommendations for proficiency testing, competency assessment for performing PVSA, and clinical and laboratory scenarios.