DNA organization in patients with a history of cryptorchidism.
OBJECTIVES: Cryptorchidism is associated with infertility, even in those patients with unilateral undescended testes. The mechanism for this infertility is not understood. We demonstrated recently that in mice, a stable nuclear matrix, a structural component of the nucleus that organizes DNA, is necessary for proper embryogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that spermatozoa from cryptorchid patients had unstable nuclear matrices. METHODS: Semen samples from 7 patients with a history of undescended testes and decreased fertility were tested for sperm nuclear matrix stability using our halo assay. RESULTS: All 7 patients were found to have unstable nuclear matrices, as compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study suggests that one factor in the decreased fertility of cryptorchid patients may be unstable sperm nuclear matrices.