Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35869479›Full record

ArticleReproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E2022

Seminal plasma extracellular vesicles tRF-Val-AAC-010 can serve as a predictive factor of successful microdissection testicular sperm extraction in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia.

Xiaoxiao Han, Lin Hao, Zhenduo Shi, Ying Li, Liang Wang, Zhenbei Li, Qiang Zhang, Fangfang Hu, Yijuan Cao, Kun Pang and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

27 citing papers in PubMed, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

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  14. Epigenetics of nonobstructive azoospermia.Asian journal of andrology · 2025
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
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  19. Article
  20. Human sperm RNA in male infertility.Nature reviews. Urology · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Xiaoxiao Han *School of Life Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Lin Hao *Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
Zhenduo Shi *Department of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
Ying LiMedical Technology School of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Liang WangDepartment of Bioinformatics, School of Medical Informatics and Engineering, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
Zhenbei LiCenter of Reproductive Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
Qiang ZhangXuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
Fangfang HuCenter of Reproductive Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
Yijuan CaoCenter of Reproductive Medicine, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China.
Kun PangDepartment of Urology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, Xuzhou, China. pakn1987@163.com.
Zuobin ZhuXuzhou Engineering Research Center of Medical Genetics and Transformation, Key Laboratory of Genetic Foundation and Clinical Application, Department of Genetics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China. zhuzuobin@xzhmu.edu.cn.
Xuzhou Central Hospital · CNXuzhou Medical College · CNTongji University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a lack of biomarkers for distinguishing non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients with successful sperm retrieval (Sp+) from those with failed sperm retrieval (Sp-). This study aimed to determine the potential of extracellular vesicles tRNA-derived small RNA (tsRNA) as a novel non-invasive biomarker for successful sperm retrieval by microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE).

methodsThe study included 18 patients with NOA with successful sperm retrieval (Sp+) and 23 patients with NOA with failed sperm retrieval (Sp-), 15 obstructive azoospermia (OA) patients, 5 idiopathic oligospermia (IO) patients, and 12 healthy people. Seminal plasma extracellular vesicles tsRNA levels were used in a two-stage case-control study (screened by tsRNA sequencing on Illumina NextSeq instrument and validated by qRT-PCR). The bioinformatic analysis was performed to determine the role of tsRNA in the pathogenesis of non-obstructive azoospermia.

resultsTwo tsRNAs (tRF-Val-AAC-010: AUC = 0.96, specificity = 80%, sensitivity = 95%; tRF-Pro-AGG-003: AUC = 0.96, specificity = 87%, sensitivity = 95%) were found to have high predictive accuracy for distinguishing the origin of azoospermia. In addition, the extracellular vesicles tRF-Val-AAC-010 resulted in high predictive ability (AUC = 0.89, sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 91%, P < 0.0001) in predicting the presence of sperm in non-obstructive azoospermia undergoing mTESE. Finally, bioinformatic analysis revealed that tRF-Val-AAC-010 were involved in spermatogenesis.

conclusionsThis study identified that the extracellular vesicles tRF-Val-AAC-010 and tRF-Pro-AGG-003 are biomarkers for the diagnosis of non-obstructive azoospermia, and that tRF-Val-AAC-010 as a potential non-invasive biomarker for predicting the presence of sperm in non-obstructive azoospermia testicular tissue.

Indexed as

AzoospermiaExtracellular VesiclesCase-Control StudiesHumansMaleMicrodissectionRetrospective StudiesSemenSpermatozoaSperm RetrievalTestisBiomarkerExtracellular vesiclesNon-obstructive azoospermiaObstructive azoospermiatsRNA

Identifiers

PMID35869479
PMCPMC9308200
OpenAlexW4286716553

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.