Hydroxyurea treatment is not significantly associated with reduced spermatogonial numbers in patients with sickle cell disease
- 1Biology of the Testis Laboratory, Research Group Genetics, Reproduction and Development, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
- 2Hemato-oncology Department, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola (HUDERF)
Abstract
Hydroxyurea (HU) is considered a first-line therapy for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). In cases of inadequate response to HU therapy, patients may receive conditioning therapy prior to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which can lead to depletion of the number of spermatogonia. Therefore, in pre-pubertal boys, fertility is preserved through cryopreservation of testicular tissue, although this is an experimental method. Analysis of this tissue showed a considerable loss of spermatogonia, leading to the hypothesis that HU therapy may reduce the spermatogonial number. However, evidence remains limited and conflicting. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between HU exposure and the spermatogonial number in boys with SCD. The number of spermatogonia per round seminiferous tubule (S/T) and the percentage of tubules containing spermatogonia were determined in cryopreserved testicular tissue from 27 HU-treated patients with SCD. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess their association with HU exposure. Spermatogonia were present in most boys with SCD, although in severely reduced numbers. S/T Z-scores and the percentage of tubules containing spermatogonia were not significantly associated with age at HU initiation, duration of HU exposure, or HU dose. In conclusion, in this cohort, no statistically significant association was observed between HU treatment and reduced spermatogonial numbers in patients with SCD.
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BibTeX
@article{beer2026hydroxyurea,
title = {{Hydroxyurea treatment is not significantly associated with reduced spermatogonial numbers in patients with sickle cell disease}},
author = {Ellen De Beer and Emily Delgouffe and Pauline Mazilier and Ellen Goossens},
journal = {Frontiers in Endocrinology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fendo.2026.1979188},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1979188/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hydroxyurea treatment is not significantly associated with reduced spermatogonial numbers in patients with sickle cell disease
AU - Ellen De Beer
AU - Emily Delgouffe
AU - Pauline Mazilier
AU - Ellen Goossens
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
JO - Frontiers in Endocrinology
DO - 10.3389/fendo.2026.1979188
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1979188/full
AB - Hydroxyurea (HU) is considered a first-line therapy for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). In cases of inadequate response to HU therapy, patients may receive conditioning therapy prior to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which can lead to depletion of the number of spermatogonia. Therefore, in pre-pubertal boys, fertility is preserved through cryopreservation of testicular tissue, although this is an experimental method. Analysis of this tissue showed a considerable loss of spermatogonia, leading to the hypothesis that HU therapy may reduce the spermatogonial number. However, evidence remains limited and conflicting. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between HU exposure and the spermatogonial number in boys with SCD. The number of spermatogonia per round seminiferous tubule (S/T) and the percentage of tubules containing spermatogonia were determined in cryopreserved testicular tissue from 27 HU-treated patients with SCD. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess their association with HU exposure. Spermatogonia were present in most boys with SCD, although in severely reduced numbers. S/T Z-scores and the percentage of tubules containing spermatogonia were not significantly associated with age at HU initiation, duration of HU exposure, or HU dose. In conclusion, in this cohort, no statistically significant association was observed between HU treatment and reduced spermatogonial numbers in patients with SCD.
SN - 1664-2392
ER -