• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.41 no.2
• /
• pp.92-95
• /
• 2014

Objective: This study sought to evaluate platelet volume indices (mean platelet volume [MPV], platelet distribution width [PDW], and platelet large cell ratio [P-LCR]) in varicocele patients, and compare it with platelet volume parameters in healthy controls. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 2 groups: group 1 included 51 varicocele subjects and group 2 consisted of 50 healthy control subjects of similar ages. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-K2 anticoagulant between 8:30 AM and 10 AM following an overnight fast. Platelet volume parameters (MPV, PDW, and P-LCR) were measured in both groups within 2 hours of sampling. Results: The mean PDW, MPV, and P-LCR were $13.9{\pm}2.5%$, $10.1{\pm}1.3fL$, and $27.3{\pm}7.8%$ in varicocele patients, respectively, and were $12.6{\pm}2.4%$, $9.3{\pm}1.1fL$, and $21.9{\pm}6.4%$ in the control group, respectively. The mean PDW, MPV, and P-LCR were significantly higher in the varicocele group than the control group. Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that vascular components may play an important role in the pathophysiology of varicocele; therefore, there is a great need for prospective studies to confirm this relationship.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.760-766
• /
• 2021

Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of Dong's acupuncture for pain associated with a varicocele. Methods: A 23-year-old male patient visited for pain due to varicocele that occurred on March 2 and was treated with acupuncture and moxibustion three times on March 16, 17, and 19. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) was used to evaluate the patient's pain. Results: After the three treatments, the NRS scores decreased, and the patient's subjective symptoms improved. Also, the patient required no medication for a week from the date of treatment start. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that Korean medicine may be an option for treating a painful varicocele, but further research is required for confirmation.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.916-922
• /
• 2021

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether Korean medicine could improve unilateral testicular pain caused by recurrent varicocele without unfavorable side effects. Methods: A 46-year-old man diagnosed with varicocele, identified with a scrotal ultrasound scan, had right-side testicular pain. We administered Banchong-san and Eunhoebanchong-san to observe changes in the degree of pain. Results: After one month of taking Banchong-san and Eunhoebanchong-san, testicular pain improved. Conclusion: This study suggests that Korean medicine might be effective for managing testicular pain caused by varicocele.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.237-240
• /
• 1991

Cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine concentration in the antecubital and internal spermatic vein were measured and compared each other in 22 varicocele patients to investigate a possible toxic role of these materials to cause impairment of the spermatogensis. The results were as follow. 1) There were no significant differences of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations between in the internal spermatic vein and in the peripheral vein, 2) Also in 6 patients who showed the abnormal findings on semen analysis and 7 patients who showed the impaired spermatogenesis on testicular biopsy, no significant differences of cortisol epinephrine and norepinephrine concentration were found between in the peripheral vein and in the internal spermatic vein. Therefore, cortisol, epinephrine and norephrine are not regarded as toxic materials responsible for the impairment of spermatogenesis in varicocele.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2007.11a
• /
• pp.51-53
• /
• 2007

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 1999.05a
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 1999

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.175-180
• /
• 1986

It has been reported that oral kallikrein therapy exerts a favourable effect on sperm motility in asthenozoospermic patients. In order to evaluate the efficacy of kallikrein on asthenozoospermia, a total of 20 subfertile male patients with varicocele, whose sperm counts were less than $40{\times}10^6/ml$ and sperm motility was less than 30%, was subjected to this clinical study (Table 1). They were divided into 2 study groups: 1) Varicocelectomy group consisted of 10 patients with varicocele (grade II-III) who underwent varicocelectomy. 2) Kallikrein group was composed of 10 patients with varicocele (grade I) who were given kallikrein orally 600 KU (kallikrein unit) daily divided 3 times after meal for 3 to 9 months. Semen analyses were repeated twice before the study, once a month during the study and twice after the study. Effective results designate that sperm parameters improved more than 30% from the basical levels after varicocelectomy or kallikrein exposure. Sperm counts increased from $32.5{\times}10^5/ml$ to $45.5{\times}10^6/ml$ after varicocelectomy in 3 patients and sperm motility increased from 25% to 38.5% after varicocelectomy in 3 patients. Pregnancy occurred in 2 patients of 3 responders and 1 patient of 7 non-responders 3 to 6 months after varicocelectomy in Varicocelectomy group. Sperm motility increased from 28% to 40.2% after kallikrein treatment in 3 patients. Pregnancy occurred in 2 patients of the 3 responders in Kallikrein group (Tables 2-3). There were no significant changes in volume and morphology in Varicocelectomy group before after varicocelectomy and no significant changes in volume, counts, and morphology before and after kallikrein exposure. No remarkable side effects were noted with kallikrein treatment.

• 대한생식의학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.06a
• /
• pp.29-35
• /
• 2000

The imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in seminal fluid indicates oxidative stress and is correlated with male infertility. A composite ROS-TAC score may be more strongly correlated with infertility than ROS or TAC alone. We measured ROS, TAC, and ROS-TAC scores in semen from 127 patients and 24 healthy controls. Of the patients, 56 had varicocele, eight had varicocele with prostatitis, 35 had vasectomy reversals, and 28 had Idiopathic infertility. ROS levels were higher among infertile men, especially those with varicocele with prostatitis (mean ${\pm}$ SE, 3.25 ${\pm}$ 0.89) and vasectomy reversals (2.65 ${\pm}$ 1.01). All infertility groups had significantly lower ROS-TAC scores than control. ROS-TAC score identified 80% of patients and was significantly better than ROS at identifying varicocele and idiopathic infertility. The 13 patients whose partners later achieved pregnancies had a mean ROS-TAC score of 47.7 ${\pm}$ 13.2, similar to controls but significantly higher than the 39 patients who remained infertile (35.8 ${\pm}$ 15.0; P < 0.01). ROS-TAC score is a novel measure of oxidative stress and Is superior to ROS or TAC alone in discriminating between fertile and infertile men. Infertile men with male factor or idiopathic diagnoses had significantly lower ROS-TAC scores than controls, and men with male factor diagnoses that eventually were able to initiate a successful pregnancy had significantly higher ROS-TAC scores than those who failed.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.39-43
• /
• 1983

During the period of Sep. 1981 to Feb. 1983, a program of measuring the blood gases and pH of 19 varicocele patients was taken. These patients were classified into 2 groups based upon their semen analyses; Group A consisted of 9 patients who demonstrated normal findings and group B consisted of 10 patients who demonstrated seminal stress pattern. The blood pH: $PO_2$ , and $PCO_2$ were measured in the internal spermatic vein and the radial vein of all the patients. The results obtained were as follows; 1. In Group A, no difference was detected in the value of the pH, $PO_2$ and $PCO_2$ between the internal spermatic vein and the radial vein. 2. In group B, a similar lack of difference in blood gases found between the internal spermatic vein and the radial vein. 3. The blood gases between the internal spermatic veins of Group A and B were compared. No difference was discovered between the 2 group also. It has been hypothesized that the pathogenesis of spermatogenic depression in patients with varicocele is testicular hypoxia due to low oxygen tension of the internal spermatic vein. However, our results do not bear out this proposed mechanism.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.37 no.3
• /
• pp.245-251
• /
• 2010

Objective: Human sperm nucleus DNA damage may negatively affect pregnancy outcome, and the spermatozoa of infertile men have more DNA damage than that of fertile men. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy on human sperm nucleus DNA integrity. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 18 subfertile male patients who underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy at our hospital from April 2006 to April 2007. Varicocele was diagnosed by physical examination and Doppler ultrasound. Standard semen analysis was performed in 18 patients before and 4 months after microsurgical varicoceletcomy using a computer assisted semen analyzer. Sperm nucleus DNA integrity was assessed by a single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay). Results: No recurrence of varicocele was observed after 4 months later. The DNA fragmentation index improved after varicocelectomy compared with pre-operatively (19.3 versus 13.7%, respectively, p<0.05). Semen analysis parameters (total count, concentration, motile sperm, viability, strict morphology) increased after varicocelectomy, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Our data suggest that microsurgical varicocelectomy can improve semen analysis parameters and human sperm nucleus DNA integrity in infertile men with varicocele.