Different levels of Cd45pos leukocytes in the semen of patients with low testicular volume

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of CD45pos leukocytes in the semen samples of infertile patients with low testicular volume (TV) compared to subjects with normal TV. The testis was considered normal in size when it had a volume between 15 and 25 cm3, low–normal with a volume between 10 and 12 cm3 and hypotrophic when the volume was <10 cm3. The patients with low testicular volume (<10 cm3) showed significantly higher concentrations of CD45pos leukocytes compared to other groups ( P <0.05). The correlation analysis showed the presence of a positive linear relationship between CD45pos leukocytes and the percentage of immature germ elements (r = 0.88; P <0.05) and between CD45pos leukocytes and the percentage of spermatozoa with phosphatidylserine externalisation (r = 0.90; P <0.05) as well as a negative linear relationship between the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology and the seminal CD45pos leukocyte concentrations ( r = −0.75; P <0.05). The results of this study showed that patients with low testicular volume (<10 cm3) have significantly increased CD45pos leukocyte concentrations associated with increased percentages of immature germ elements, spermatozoa with signs of early apoptosis and spermatozoa with abnormal morphology.