Testicular microbiome in azoospermic men-first evidence of the impact of an altered microenvironment.

ABSTRACT: STUDY QUESTION:Given the relevant role of the extracellular microenvironment in regulating tissue homeostasis, is testicular bacterial microbiome (BM) associated with germ cell aplasia in idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia (iNOA)? SUMMARY ANSWER:A steady increase of dysbiosis was observed among testis with normal spermatogenesis vs. iNOA with positive sperm retrieval and iNOA with complete germ cell aplasia. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY:Tissue-associated BM has been reported to be a biologically important extracellular microenvironment component for numerous body habitats, but not yet for the human testis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION:Cross-sectional study, investigating tissue-associated BM in the testis of (i) five men with iNOA and negative sperm retrieval at microdissection testicular spe

SUBMITTER: Alfano M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6012977 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature