OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression of the @entity2467 receptor and its ligand, @entity6826 , and their possible relation with apoptosis in infertile @entity1 . DESIGN: Prospective laboratory study. SETTING: Urology laboratory in a university hospital. @entity1 (S): @entity1 undergoing testicular biopsy during an investigation of subfertility. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Expression of the @entity2467 receptor protein, @entity6826 , and apoptosis in the testes. RESULT(S): The @entity2467 receptor was strongly present in Leydig cells and type A spermatogonia of normal testes, with decreased staining in Leydig cells and type A spermatogonia of testes with maturational arrest, and staining in only Leydig cells of Sertoli cell-only specimens. @entity6826 was demonstrated in Leydig cells and Sertoli cells in all specimens. Western blotting demonstrated the 150-kd @entity2467 protein in the normal testes and the testes with maturational arrest, but not in the testes with the Sertoli cell-only pattern. @entity6826 was expressed in all specimens, with a protein size of 45 kd. Increased apoptosis was demonstrated in type A spermatogonia and spermatocytes of tissue with maturational arrest compared with normal testicular tissue. CONCLUSION(S): @entity2467 receptor expression is decreased in subfertile testicular tissue compared with normal testicular tissue. @entity6826 expression is present in Leydig cells and Sertoli cells. Increased apoptosis is seen in tissue with maturational arrest compared with normal tissue.

Decreased expression of the @entity2467 receptor is associated with increased apoptosis in subfertile XXXX testes.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Men', 'PATIENT', 'men'] @entity6826 :: ('4254', 'Gene') :: ['Stem cell factor', 'stem cell factor'] @entity2467 :: ('3815', 'Gene') :: ['c-kit', 'C-kit']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['human']
