Analysis of partial AZFc (gr/gr, b1/b3, and b2/b3) deletions in Iranian oligozoospermia candidates for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)

Background/aim: Infertility is a main health issue. The human Y chromosome contains essential genes for spermatogenesis, especially those located on four major intervals defined as AZFa, AZFb, AZFc, and AZFd. A partial deletion of the AZFc region is reported as a significant risk factor for oligo-/azoospermia. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of partial deletions in the AZFc region (gr/gr, b1/b3, and b2/b3) in Iranian oligozoospermic candidates for intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Materials and methods: Multiplex PCR was used to assess the micro and partial deletions in 60 oligozoospermia infertile and 80 fertile men. Results: Two cases (3.33%) showed AZFb deletion but no microdeletion was detected in the control samples. In the AZFc region, 20% of the patients showed deletions, in which 15% and 5% showed gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions, respectively. However, 10% of the healthy individuals also showed partial deletions, including gr/gr (7.5%) and b2/b3 (2.5%). No significant correlation was detected between the presence of gr/gr microdeletion in patients and controls (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study showed that the partial AZFc deletions are not associated with male infertility in Iranian subjects.

Partial Deletions of Y-Chromosome in Infertile Men with Non-obstructive Azoospermia and Oligoasthenoteratozoospermia in a Turkish Population

Many genetic alterations have been identified to aid in understanding the genetic basis of male infertility, however, the cause of 30% of male infertility remains unknown. Some studies indicated that subdeletions of Y chromosome may be a reason for male infertility caused by testicular failure. In this regard, we aimed to investigate frequency of AZFc region subdeletions and their clinical effects in patients with idiopathic infertility. A total of 333 male infertile patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) or oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT), and 87 normozoospermic controls were screened to detect gr/gr, b1/b3 and b2/b3 subdeletions. We recorded higher gr/gr deletion frequency in normozoospermic controls compared NAO and OAT groups (p=0.026). There were no significant differences in b2/b3 subdeletion rates among groups (p=0.437). In the OAT group, follicle-stimulating hormone levels of cases with b2/b3 deletion were statistically lower than cases without b2/b3 deletion (p=0.047). No statistical correlations were indicated among subdeletions, sperm count and assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes. These data demonstrate that gr/gr and b2/b3 subdeletions may not play a significant role in the etiopathogenesis of male infertility and ART outcomes in the studied population.