title: Androgen receptor gene GGN and CAG polymorphisms among severely oligozoospermic and azoospermic Swedish men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the androgen receptor gene GGN polymorphism and its relation to male infertility and receptor function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-nine infertile patients with sperm counts < or = 5 x 10(6)/ml were screened for karyotypic abnormalities and Y-chromosome microdeletions. The GGN and CAG repeats were sequenced in those without genetic abnormalities and in 223 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five men (5.1%) carried Y-chromosome microdeletions and five had abnormal karyotypes. Neither the distributions of GGN nor of CAG differed significantly between patients and controls. However, the < 21 CAG and GGN = 23 combination of repeats occurred more frequently in the controls (16%) compared to the entire group of patients (4%; P = 0.003) and to the subgroup of 54 patients with idiopathic infertility (4%; P = 0.02). Testicular volume and CAG lengths were higher (P = 0.04 and 0.002 respectively) among the patients with GGN = 23 compared to GGN = 24. The odds ratio (OR) of having low prostatic secretory function was higher among patients with GGN = 24 than those with GGN = 23 (OR: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.1-11.7; P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The < 21 CAG and GGN = 23 combination of repeats may confer a lower risk of infertility to the carriers. Androgen sensitivity may be higher among carriers of the GGN = 23 allele compared to the GGN = 24 allele.
authors.affiliation: Fertility Centre, Scanian Andrology Centre, Malmö, Sweden. yasir.ruhayel@kir.mas.lu.se
authors.forename: Yasir
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ruhayel
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Giwercman
authors.forename: Christer
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Halldén
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Willén
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giwercman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005787:Gene Frequency; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013548:Sweden; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen