ABNORMAL BASEMENT-MEMBRANE STRUCTURES OF SEMINIFEROUS TUBULES IN INFERTILE MEN

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (6) , 543-554
Abstract
Testicular biopsies from 60 patients with impaired fertility were investigated by EM for changes in the basement membrane of seminiferous tubules. Six different types of abnormal basement membrane structures (ABMS).sbd.analogous to those of glomerular basement membrane disease were found to a variable extent in biopsies of 33 cases. The occurrence of ABMS correlated with the severity of tubular changes, and ABMS were absent in tubuli seminiferi with an intact germinal epithelium. Except for ABMS type 2, thought to represent immune complex deposits, the origin of ABMS is unknown. ABMS type 2 was present in 21 cases. Since similar deposits were observed in rabbits developing immune complex orchitis after vasectomy, the occurrence of immune complex orchitis in infertile men was indicated.