ANDROGEN RECEPTOR IMMUNOEXPRESSION IN THE TESTES OF SUBFERTILE MEN

The localization and intensity of androgen receptor immunostaining was studied in the testes of 37 subfertile men with oligozoospermia and n ormal serum gonadotropin levels using a polyclonal antibody raised aga inst a synthetic peptide corresponding to the first 20 N-terminal amin o acid residues of the androgen receptor (AR). Furthermore, we investi gated whether or not the immunoexpression of the AR in human Sertoli c ells, in histologically normal testis tissue, is dependent on the stag e of the spermatogenic cycle, as has been found in the rat. In the hum an testis, AR immunoexpression was observed in Sertoli cells, peritubu lar myoid cells, Leydig cells, and periarteriolar cells, but not in ge rminal cells. We found no evidence for a stage-dependent immunoexpress ion of AR in Sertoli cells. The intensity of AR immunoexpression varie d substantially between biopsy specimens of different patients. There was, however, no correlation of the intensity of AR immunoexpression i n either Sertoli cells or peritubular myoid cells with spermatogenic a dequacy as measured by the method of Johnsen. When, in this study, the intensity of peritubular myoid cell staining was used as a standard t o evaluate the intensity of Sertoli cell staining, no correlation was detected as well. Furthermore, serum gonadotropin levels were not corr elated with AR immunoexpression levels in Sertoli cells and peritubula r myoid cells. These results indicate that immunodetectability of the AR is not related to the condition of the spermatogenic epithelium in patients with oligozoospermia. Inappropriate expression of the AR is n either a cause nor a consequence of idiopathic infertility in the pres ent group of patients.