الفهرس 
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Abstract
Male fertility is greatly influenced by apoptosis-mediated sperm
cell death (Wang et al., 2015). Apoptosis is one of the main
pathophysiologic mechanisms of testicular dysfunction as a result of
varicoceles and therefore, molecules that play a role in apoptotic
processes have been studied (Celik et al., 2013).
Granulysin regulates apoptosis in several cell types. Granulysin is
strictly related to the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, and it can
target several human cells, enhancing inflammatory and autoimmune
processes. Granulysin contributes to activation of caspase 3 and DNA
fragmentation which further potentiates mitochondrial damage and
provides positive feedback for activation of apoptosis (Krzewski &
Coligan, 2012).
Our study aimed to assess seminal plasma granulysin in
varicocele patients evaluating its role in pathophysiological process of
varicocele induced seminal parameters changes.
Semen samples from a total of 78 patients were analyzed. Patients
were categorized into three groups:
group (A): included 34 infertile patients with varicocele.
group (B): included 27 infertile non-varicocele candidates.
group (C): included semen samples from 17 healthy fertile nonvaricocele
candidates.
Seminal plasma granulysin levels were significantly higher in
group A than both group B and group C. Also granulysin was
significantly elevated in group B than group C.
Summary and Conclusion
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There was significant negative correlation between seminal plasma
granulysin levels and testicular volume and sperm count in group A.
There was nonsignificant correlation between seminal plasma
granulysin level and abnormal morphological forms and progressive
sperm motility.
Conclusion
Granulysin may be useful in discriminating a varicocele that is
causing infertility. The hypothesis is that the equilibrium between
apoptosis and proliferation will influence the seminal phenotype.
Therefore, current study aimed to evaluate the expression levels of
granulysin in seminal plasma of patients with infertile varicocele men.
The increased level of seminal granulysin in infertile patients
with varicocele is possibly involved in varicocele-associated infertility
through its negative influence on spermatogenesis. Several larger scale
studies are recommended to elucidate the exact role of granulysin in
testicular dysfunction and sperm DNA damage in varicocele patients.