• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제39권4호
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• pp.172-175
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the various causes of male infertility using multiple approaches. Methods: Nine-hundred-twenty infertile male patients were analyzed at their first visit with one physician between January 1 and December 31, 2009. All patients were subjected to physical examination and semen analysis and azoospermic patients underwent hormonal testing, chromosomal tests, and testicular biopsy. Semen analysis was based on the definition of the World Health Organization. Results: Among the 920 patients, 555 patients (60.3%) had semen results within the normal range, 269 patients (29.2%) within the abnormal range, and 96 (10.5%) were diagnosed with azoospermia. Varicoceles were diagnosed in 84 of the 555 normal-range patients (15.1%) and in 113 of the 269 abnormal-range patients (42.0%). Of the 96 patients with azoospermia, 24 patients (25%) were diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia, 68 patients (71%) with non-obstructive azoospermia, and 4 patients (4%) with retrograde ejaculation. Conclusion: Various causes of male infertility have been reported and diverse treatment methods can be adopted for each cause. In this regard, research must be conducted on a larger number of patients to accurately assess the various causes of infertility in Korean patients and to investigate various infertility treatment methods.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.447-456
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• 1999

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using epididymal and testicular sperm in patients with azoospermia. Methods: From March, 1993 to May, 1999, a retrospective clinical analysis was done of a total of 140 cycles in 112 patients who underwent ICSI. Subjects were divided into three groups: ejaculated-ICSI group included 42 cycles in 34 patients with ejaculated sperm who underwent ICSI due to severe oligospermia and past history of failed or poor fertilization in the previous in vitro fertilization and embryo tranfer (IVF-ET) cycles, microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (MESA-ICSI) group included 50 cycles in 42 patients with congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD) or unreconstructable obstructive azoospermia and testicular sperm extraction and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (TESE-ICSI) group included 48 cycles in 36 patients with no spermatozoa which can be retrieved from epididymis or non-obstructive azoospermia. Results: Normal two-pronuclear fertilization rates were similar in three groups: 64.4% for ejaculated-ICSI group, 59.4% for MESA-ICSI group and 60.4% for TESE-ICSI group. The pregnancy rates were 26.2%, 26.0% and 25.0% respectively. There were no significant differences in the fertilization, cleavage, and clinical pregnancy rates among ICSI cycles using ejaculated, epididymal and testicular sperm. Conclusion: Epididymal and testicular sperm obtained in azoospermic patients can fertilize oocyte successfully and may lead to be similar fertilization rates and clinical pregnancy rates to ejaculated sperm.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한불임학회 2004년도 제47차 추계학술대회
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• pp.44-45
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• 2004

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제38권3호
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• pp.142-147
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• 2011

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate testicular sperm chromatin condensation using aniline blue-eosin (AB-E) staining and its effects on IVF-ET. Methods: Chromatin condensation was analyzed using AB-E staining in 27 cases of testicular sperm extraction. There were 19 cases of obstructive azoospermia (OA) and 8 cases of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in IVF-ET. Mature sperm heads were stained red-pink whereas immature sperm heads were stained dark blue. The percentage of sperm chromatin condensation was calculated from the ratio of the number of red-pink sperm to the total number of sperm analyzed. Results: The overall percentages of chromatin condensation in OA and NOA were $31.1{\pm}11.2%$ and $26.3{\pm}14.4%$, respectively. The fertilization rate was significant higher in OA than NOA ($p$ <0.05); however, the rates of good embryos and clinical pregnancy did not show statistical differences. In OA and NOA, statistical differences were not observed in the rate of chromatin condensation, fertilization, good embryos, and clinical pregnancy between the pregnant group and non-pregnant group. Conclusion: Chromatin condensation is less stable than OA and showed a low fertilization rate in NOA. While there were no significant differences in chromatin condensation results between NOA and OA, we propose that a pattern of decreased chromatin condensation in NOA is one of the factors of low fertilization results requiring further study.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.77-81
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• 1984

Epididymal biopsy has been performed without consideration of the possibility of epididymal ductal severance and obstruction which result in obstructive azoospermia. An attempt was made to study the effect of the epididymal biopsy on the obstruction of the epididymal ducts. Bilateral epididymal biopsies were done in 8 healthy rabbits (New Zealand White strain) weighing over 3 kg, and then ejaculated semens have been analyzed 5 times every other week from 1 month after biopsies. Microscopic examination of the biopsied epididymides was also done after the 5th semen analysis. The results were as follows. 1. Semen analysis: 6 out of 8 rabbits showed azoospermia from the 4th semen analysis and 2 cases showed normal number of the sperms in the 5th semen analysis. 2, Microscopic examination: 6 cases of azoospermia showed complete obstruction of the biopsied sites of the epididymides, and abscence of sperms in epididymal ducts distal to the biopsied sites of the epididymides. However, recanalization of the epididymal ducts was noted in 2 cases showing normal sperm count. Therefore, it is concluded that the epididymal biopsy should be avoided in patients who want to be fertile, because it may cause the epididymal severance and obstruction of the epididymal ducts.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.153-158
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• 1990

Sera from 95 infertile males males were assayed for antisperm antibodies using the Tray Agglutination Test(TAT) and indirect Immunobead Test(IBT). The correlation between antisperm antibodies and seminal analysis in infertile men was evaluated, and the TAT was compared with new indirect IBT. The results were obtained as follows. 1. Positive rate for antisperm antibodies was high in azoospermia, oligoasthenospermia, pyo-spermia, in order, Especially in obstructive azoospermia, the rate was the highest in both methods 2. Positive rates for antisperm antibodies in TAT was higher than indirect IBT. 3. Among the isotypes of the immunoglobulins, IgG were most prevalent. IgG and IgA were bound predominantly to the head and IgM predominantly to the tail up.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제45권4호
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• pp.170-176
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• 2018

Objective: To assess whether the "testicular pool" could be used for histological analysis and whether it gave more accurate information than the standard testicular biopsy. Methods: Between January 2017 and March 2018, this single-center prospective study included 60 azoospermic men undergoing conventional bilateral testicular sperm extraction. Six samples were excised from each testicle and transferred to an embryologist. One additional biopsy was randomly taken from each testis for a histological analysis. After processing, the testicular pool was also sent for a histological analysis, which showed normal spermatogenesis (NS), hypospermatogenesis (HYPO), maturation arrest (MA), Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS), and tubular atrophy (TA). Results: Twenty of the 60 patients (33.3%) had obstructive azoospermia (OA), while the remaining 40 (66.6%) had nonobstructive azoospermia. Their mean age was 40.5 years. All patients with OA had previously undergone unsuccessful testicular fine-needle aspiration. Successful sperm retrieval (SSR) occurred in 93.3% of patients. Histological analysis of the testicular biopsy revealed NS in 12 patients (20%), HYPO and TA in 28 patients (46.6%), MA in eight patients (13.3%), and SCOS in 12 patients (20%). The testicular pool analysis showed NS in 12 patients (20%), HYPO and TA in 44 patients (73.3%), MA in four patients (6.6%), and SCOS in no patients. In four patients with MA (6.6% of the total sample) and 12 patients with SCOS (20% of the total sample) according to the standard testicular biopsy, the embryologist found SSR with cryopreservation. Overall, in 44 patients (73.3%), the testicular pool analysis confirmed the histological findings of the standard testicular biopsy. In the 16 cases (26.6%) with a discrepancy between the single-biopsy histological findings and SSR, the testicular pool analysis confirmed the embryological data on SSR. Conclusion: The testicular pool proved to be easily analyzable, practical, manageable, and more accurate for predicting sperm retrieval than standard testicular biopsy.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한불임학회 2004년도 제46차 춘계학술대회
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• pp.88-89
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• 2004

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.293-301
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• 2008

목 적: 비폐쇄성 무정자증 환자에서 고환의 조직병리학적 진단에 따라 고환조직내 정자채취술 (Testicular sperm extraction, TESE) 후 난자세포질내 정자주입술 (Intracytoplsmic sperm injection, ICSI)의 체외수정시술 결과를 알아보고자 하였다. 연구방법: 비폐쇄성 무정자증으로 고환조직내 정자채취술 후 난자세포질내 정자주입술을 이용하여 배아 이식을 시행한 122주기를 분석하였다. 고환의 조직병리학적 진단에 따라 Germ-cell aplasia (GA, 40주기), Maturation arrest (MA, 32주기) and severe hypospermatogenesis (S-HS, 50주기)로 구분하여 체외수정시술 결과를 비교하였으며, 이들 결과를 난자세포질내 정자주입술을 이용한 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자의 체외수정시술 결과와 비교하였다. 결 과: 고환조직내 정자채취술 후 난자세포질내 정자주입술시 수정율은 각각 58.1% in GA, 42.2% in MA and 48.0% in S-HS로 조직병리학적 진단에 따른 차이는 없었으며, 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자의 72.9%에 비해 유의하게 낮은 수정율을 보였다 (p<0.001). 고환조직내 정자채취술시 채취된 정자 (spermatozoa, 94주기)로 난자세포질내 정자주입술을 시행한 주기의 배아 이식 후 임신율은 각각 22.6% in GA, 29.4% in MA와 26.1% in S-HS이었으며, 출생률은 각각 16.1%, 29.4%와 19.6%로 조직병리학적 진단에 따른 차이는 없었다. 정자세포 (spermatid, 16주기)를 사용하여 난자세포질내 정자주입술을 시행한 주기의 임신율은 각각 0.0% (0/3 주기), 9.1% (1/11주기)와 0.0% (0/2주기)이었으며, 출생률은 각각 0.0%이었다. 정모세포 (spermatocyte, 12주기)를 사용한 주기의 임신율은 각각 0.0% (0/6주기), 0.0% (0/4주기)와 0.0% (0/2주기)이었으며, 출생률도 각각 0.0%이었다. 결 론: 비폐쇄성 무정자증환자의 배아이식을 시행한 주기에서 고환의 조직병리학적 진단에 따른 난자세포질내 정자주입술시 수정율은 차이가 없었으며, 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자에 비해 유의하게 낮은 수정율을 보였다. 비폐쇄성 무정자증환자에서 고환조직내 정자채취술시 정자를 채취하여 난자세포질내 정자주입술을 시행한 주기의 체외수정시술 결과는 고환의 조직병리학적 진단에 따라 차이를 보이지 않는다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제36권1호
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• pp.55-61
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• 2009

목 적: 폐쇄성 무정자증 (obstructive azoospermia) 환자와 정자형성저하증 (hypospermatogenesis) 환자의 고환 정자를 이용한 체외수정 및 배아이식술의 결과를 비교, 분석하고자 하였다. 연구방법: 2003년 1월부터 2006년 12월까지 체외수정 및 배아이식술을 위해 고환조직 정자채취술을 시행한 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자 155명 (241주기)과 정자형성저하증 환자 28명 (34주기)을 대상으로 하였다. 고환조직 정자채취술과 세포질내 정자주입술을 실시한 후 수정률, 착상률, 임신율, 출산율을 비교하였으며, 통계적 분석은 t-test와 ${\chi}^2$-test를 사용하였다. 결 과: 정자형성저하증 환자의 고환정자 회수 결과, 신선고환을 사용한 21주기 중 1주기에서는 정자를 회수하지 못하였으나, 정자를 확인하고 고환조직 동결보존 후 융해한 13주기에서 모두 정자를 회수할 수 있었다. 수정률은 정자형성저하증 환자보다 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자에서 통계적으로 유의하게 높았다 (75.6 % vs. 62.6%, p<0.001). 난할 배아 발생률도 정자형성저하증 환자보다 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자에서 통계적으로 유의하게 높았다 (66.8% vs. 54.8% p<0.001). 그러나 우수배아 형성률, 임상적 임신율, 착상률, 출산율에는 차이가 없었다. 결 론: 정자형성저하증 환자의 고환정자를 사용하여 세포질내 정자주입술을 실시할 경우 수정률과 초기 난할율은 폐쇄성 무정자증 환자보다 낮지만, 정상적으로 발달한 배아를 이식할 경우 임신율, 착상률, 그리고 출산율에는 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 사료된다.