Accelerated loss of oogonia and impaired folliculogenesis in females with Turner syndrome start during early fetal development

This study included a total of 102 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded fetal ovarian tissue specimens. Specimens included were from fetuses with 45,X (N  = 42 aged gestational week (GW) 12–20, except one GW 40 sample), 45,X/46,XX (N = 7, aged GW 12–20), and from controls (N = 53, aged GW 12–42) from a biobank (ethics approval # H-2-2014-103).PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODSThe number of OCT4 positive germ cells/mm2, follicles (primordial and primary)/mm2 and cPARP positive cells/mm2 were quantified in fetal ovarian tissue from TS, TS mosaic and controls following morphological and immunohistochemical analysis.MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCEAfter adjusting for gestational age, the number of OCT4+ oogonia was significantly higher in control ovaries (N  = 53) versus 45,X ovaries (N = 40,P <  0.001), as well as in control ovaries versus 45,X/46,XX mosaic ovaries (N = 7,P <  0.043). Accordingly, the numbers of follicles were significantly higher in control ovaries versus 45,X and 45,X/46,XX ovaries from GW 16–20 with a median range of 154 (N = 11) versus 0 (N = 24) versus 3 (N = 5) (P <  0.001 andP <  0.015, respectively). The number of follicles was also significantly higher in 45,X/46,XX mosaic ovaries from GW 16–20 compared with 45,X ovaries (P <  0.005). Additionally, the numbers of apoptotic cells determined as cPARP+ cells/mm2 were significantly higher in ovaries 45,X (n  = 39) ...
Source: Human Reproduction - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research