title: High prevalence of AZFb microdeletion in Iranian patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Genetic factors contribute about 10 per cent of male infertility. Among these, genes in azoospermia factor (AZF) region including AZFa, AZFb, AZFc and AZFd on the long arm of Y chromosome are considered most important for spermatogenesis. Deletions in these regions are thought to be involved in some cases of male infertility associated with azoospermia or oligozoospermia. We studied the incidence of AZF deletions among Iranian infertile men with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 100 Iranian azoospermic infertile men were selected for the molecular study of Y chromosome microdeletions. The presence of 13 sequence tagged site (STS) markers from AZF region was investigated using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR). One hundred fertile men were also studied as control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve (12%) patients showed Y chromosome microdeletions and among these, deletion in AZFb region was the most frequent (66.67%) followed by AZFc (41.67%), AZFd (33.33%) and AZFa (8.33%), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of relatively high incidence of Y chromosome microdeletions among Iranian azoospermic patients, molecular screening may be advised to infertile men before using assisted reproductive treatments.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department Islamic Azad University (IAU), Science & Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mirfakhraie
authors.forename: Farzaneh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mirzajani
authors.forename: Sayed Mahdi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kalantar
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montazeri
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salsabili
authors.forename: Gholam Reza
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pourmand
authors.forename: Massoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Houshmand
mesh_terms: D053713:Azoospermia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D056426:Genetic Loci; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016324:Sequence Tagged Sites
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins