Expression of estrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor in children with undescended testicle previously treated with human chorionic gonadotropin.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and progesterone receptor (PR) in paratesticular tissues obtained from boys with undescended testes.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A total of 65 boys with unilateral cryptorchidism and failed human chorionic gonadotropion treatment underwent orchiopexy. A small sample of gubernaculum, cremasteric muscle and processus vaginalis was obtained. A total of 57 boys who underwent inguinal hernia repair served as the control group. All boys in the control group had testes in the scrotum. The expression of estrogen receptor alpha and progesterone receptor was measured by counting the number of ERalpha or PR positive cells detected by immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

ERalpha and PR density was higher in cremasteric muscle and processus vaginalis obtained from boys with undescended testes than in the control group. Density of progesterone receptor in the examined groups was lower than the density of estrogen receptor.

CONCLUSIONS

ERalpha and PR are expressed in paratesticular tissues important for normal testicular descent. ERalpha was over expressed in cremasteric muscle and processus vaginalis in boys with undescended testes previously treated with human chorionic gonadotropin.