Mp55-04 low Serum Inhibin B/Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Anti-Mullerian Hormone/Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Ratios as Markers of Decreased Germ Cells in Infants With Bilateral Cryptorchidism

Abstract

boys, who were compared with 126 boys without CH. This study was approved by the institutional review board of our hospital (no. 60180016).RESULTS: The mean age of patients with (Hypo-T group) and without (Normal-T group) CH at surgery was 23.3AE14.5 and 34.8AE30.4 months, respectively (p[0.45). The mean testicular volume was 0.54AE0.27 cm 3 (Normal-T group) and 0.62AE0.36 cm 3 (Hypo-T group) (p[0.30). The number of SSCs per tubule was 0.62AE0.59 in the Normal-T group and 2.14AE0.69 in the Hypo-T group (p<0.01).CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CH, the number of SSCs per tubule was significantly increased, and differentiation to SSCs occurred at a greater degree than in those without CH. We suspected that this was caused by the high thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels during mini-puberty. TSH is similar in structure to follicle-stimulating hormone, and their respective receptors are located in Sertoli cells. A previous study revealed that TSH promotes the proliferation of Sertoli cells, suggesting that Sertoli cells are involved in the SSC differentiation process. It provides a novel therapeutic method for preserving fertility potential in cryptorchid boys through stimulation of Sertoli cell function via thyroid hormones.