Chronic Sinopulmonary Disease in Chinese Patients with Obstructive Azoospermia

Abstract

The prevalence of chronic infections of the nasal sinuses and the lung (chronic sinopulmonary disease) was investigated in 33 Chinese patients with obstructive azoospermia who were compared with 32 patients with azoospermia due to failure of the germinal epithelium. Ten out of the group of 33 patients with obstructive azoospermia had congenital absence of the vas and/or epididymis and were excluded from that group. The patients with obstructive azoospermia had normal testis size, normal levels of serum FSH and LH, lower seminal fluid fructose, and a higher incidence of serum sperm agglutinating and immobilizing antibodies when compared with the group with damage to the germinal epithelium. The number of patients with symptoms of chronic sinopulmonary infections were similar in all groups. One patient with obstructive azoospermia had bronchiectasis. All other patients had normal chest x-ray studies. About 40% of the patients in all three groups had abnormal sinus X-rays. However, the nonsmoking patients with obstructive azoospermia had a statistically significant (P less than 0.05) lower mid-expiratory flow rate than the nonsmoking patients with nonobstructive azoospermia. Only three additional patients with obstructive azoospermia had both abnormal sinus x-ray and a reduced mid-expiratory flow rate, suggestive of Young's syndrome. It was concluded that Young's syndrome (sinopulmonary infections associated with acquired obstructive azoospermia) is much less common in Chinese men (four out of 23, 17%) and their sinopulmonary problems are less severe than in Caucasians.