title: AZFc partial deletions in Chilean men with severe spermatogenic failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of AZFc subdeletions in infertile Chilean men with severe spermatogenic impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  University infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-five secretory azo/oligozoospermic men without AZFc Y chromosome microdeletions: 71 whose testicular histology showed severe spermatogenic impairment and 24 who exhibited reduced testicular volume and elevated serum FSH levels. As controls, we studied 77 men (50 fertile and/or normozoospermic, and 27 with azoospermia and normal spermatogenesis).
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood was drawn to obtain genomic DNA for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) digestion assays of DAZ-sequence nucleotide variants and for AZFc-STS PCR after a complete testicular characterization (biopsy, hormonal, and physical evaluation).
  
  
  METHODS
  DAZ genes and AZFc subdeletion types.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In cases we observed two "gr/gr" subdeletions (2.1%), one with absence of DAZ1/DAZ2 (g1/g2 subtype), and the other with absence of DAZ3/DAZ4 (r2/r4 subtype). Additionally, we found a g1/g3 subdeletion in a patient with Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. In controls, we observed two gr/gr subdeletions with absence of DAZ1/DAZ2 (2.6%) in a fertile/normozoospermic and in an obstructive azoospermic man.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AZFc subdeletions do not seem to cause severe impairment of spermatogenesis. Moreover, gr/gr-DAZ1/DAZ2 subdeletions do not appear to affect fertility in Chilean men.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Maternal and Child Research, School of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lardone
authors.forename: Daniela A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ebensperger
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peñaloza
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cornejo
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valdevenito
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pommer
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile; D056426:Genetic Loci; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion / Q000235:genetics*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins