High prevalence of AZFb microdeletion in Iranian patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia.
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.
Mirfakhraie
Reza
R
Biology Department Islamic Azad University (IAU), Science & Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
Mirzajani
Farzaneh
F
Kalantar
Sayed Mahdi
SM
Montazeri
Maryam
M
Salsabili
Nasser
N
Pourmand
Gholam Reza
GR
Houshmand
Massoud
M
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
D017931:DNA Primers; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins