Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38403804›Full record

ArticleJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2024

Genetic profiling of azoospermic men to identify the etiology and predict reproductive potential.

Stephanie Cheung, Lily Ng, Philip Xie, Olena Kocur, Rony Elias, Peter Schlegel, Zev Rosenwaks, Gianpiero D Palermo

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.2field-weighted citation impact, top 10% 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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. The intricate "ART" of ICSI.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 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

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Stephanie CheungThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Lily NgThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Philip XieThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Olena KocurThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Rony EliasThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Peter SchlegelDepartment of Urology, James Buchanan Brady Foundation and Cornell Reproductive Medicine Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Zev RosenwaksThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Gianpiero D PalermoThe Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue, Y720, New York, NY, 10021, USA. gdpalerm@med.cornell.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8440-4560
Cornell University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo identify germline mutations related to azoospermia etiology and reproductive potential of surgically retrieved spermatozoa, and to investigate the feasibility of predicting seminiferous tubule function of nonobstructive azoospermic men by transcriptomic profiling of ejaculates. MATERIALS AND

methodsSperm specimens were obtained from 30 men (38.4 ± 6 years) undergoing epididymal sperm aspiration for obstructive azoospermia (OA, n = 19) acquired by vasectomy, or testicular biopsy for nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA, n = 11). To evaluate for a correlation with azoospermia etiology, DNAseq was performed on surgically retrieved spermatozoa, and cell-free RNAseq on seminal fluid (n = 23) was performed to predict spermatogenesis in the seminiferous tubule.

resultsOverall, surgically retrieved sperm aneuploidy rates were 1.7% and 1.8% among OA and NOA cohorts, respectively. OA men carried housekeeping-related gene mutations, while NOA men displayed mutations on genes involved in crucial spermiogenic functions (AP1S2, AP1G2, APOE). We categorized couples within each cohort according to ICSI clinical outcomes to investigate genetic causes that may affect reproductive potential. All OA-fertile men (n = 9) carried mutations in ZNF749 (sperm production), whereas OA-infertile men (n = 10) harbored mutations in PRB1, which is essential for DNA replication. NOA-fertile men (n = 8) carried mutations in MPIG6B (stem cell lineage differentiation), whereas NOA-infertile individuals (n = 3) harbored mutations in genes involved in spermato/spermio-genesis (ADAM29, SPATA31E1, MAK, POLG, IFT43, ATG9B) and early embryonic development (MBD5, CCAR1, PMEPA1, POLK, REC8, REPIN1, MAPRE3, ARL4C). Transcriptomic assessment of cell-free RNAs in seminal fluid from NOA men allowed the prediction of residual spermatogenic foci.

conclusionsSperm genome profiling provides invaluable information on azoospermia etiology and identifies gene-related mechanistic links to reproductive performance. Moreover, RNAseq assessment of seminal fluid from NOA men can help predict sperm retrieval during testicular biopsies.

Indexed as

AzoospermiaSpermatogenesisSpermatozoaSperm RetrievalAdultGenetic ProfileHumansInfertility, MaleMaleMiddle AgedMutationTestisAzoospermiaGenomicsICSINext generation sequencingTesticular sperm retrieval

Identifiers

PMID38403804
PMCPMC11052749
OpenAlexW4392165630

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.