Varicocele-induced testicular dysfunction may be associated with disruption of blood-testis barrier

The objective of this study was to examine E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells in testicular specimens from patients with varicocele in order to determine the presence of a possible link between blood-testis barrier and pathophysiology of varicocele. A total of 51 testicular biopsies were obtained from 28 infertile men with unilateral or bilateral varicocele. Twenty-three patients had bilateral and 5 had unilateral varicocele, Grade I varicocele was detected in 30 (59%), grade II in 15 (29%) and grade III in 6 (12%) patients. Abnormal expression of E-cadherin and alpha-catenin at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells was demonstrated in 100% and 90% of the patients with varicocele, respectively. In those with grade I-III varicocele, the mean E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression were 7.6 +/- 11.4 and 39 +/- 36; 7.6 +/- 0.0 and 49 +/- 30; 8.3 +/- 9.3 and 58 +/- 33, respectively, but the difference was not significant. Reduced E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression at the junctions between adjacent Sertoli cells may be associated with disruption of blood-testis barrier in varicocele.