Cytogenetics and infertility in man: II. Testicular histology and meiosis.

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Abstract
Within a group of 207 subfertile men, selected for testicular biopsy, histological investigations were made successfully in 194 chromosomally normal and 7 chromosomally abnormal individuals. Men (52%) with a normal karyotype showed normal testicular histology, 31% showed a general depression of spermatogenesis and 8% showed deficiency in the late stages. Ten percent had only Sertoli cells in the testis. The range of testicular conditions seen in the chromosomally abnormal men was similar to that found in the chromosomally normal. Meiotic studies carried out on 118 chromosomally normal individuals gave a mean chiasma count of 48.9/cell. There was a positive correlation between high numbers of cells at diakinesis/metaphase I showing X and Y univalents and low numbers of cells reaching metaphase II. Meiosis was studied in 3 translocation heterozygotes, one 47,XYY male, one 47,XY +mar individual and 1 patient with a ring Y chromosome.