HIGH-LEVEL OF NONCOLLAGENOUS PROTEIN OF SPERMATIC VEIN IN PATIENTS WITH VARICOCELE

Spermatic vein specimens were removed from 46 patients with varicocele who underwent high ligation of the left spermatic vein and 11 men wit h renal cancer who underwent radical nephrectomy. Semen analysis was p erformed preoperatively and after 3 months, and the contents of noncol lagenous protein, collagen and elastin in the spermatic vein were dete rmined. The noncollagenous protein contents in the spermatic vein were greater in patients with grades 2 and 3 varicocele than in those with renal cancer (p <0.001) and grade 1 varicocele (p <0.01), respectivel y. Similar results, to a lesser extent, were also obtained for the con tents of collagen. The content of elastin in each group was identical. Noncollagenous protein content correlated inversely with sperm count and sperm motility in all varicocele groups, as did collagen content i n patients with grades 2 and 3 varicocele. These results indicate that there is an association between a large amount of noncollagenous prot ein and collagen in the spermatic vein and deterioration of the spermi ogram in patients with grades 2 and 3 varicocele.