title: Prevalence and patterns of Y chromosome microdeletion in infertile men with azoospermia and oligzoospermia in Northeast China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In some cases infertile men showed small deletions of specific genes in the Y chromosome. It had been confirmed, these deleted genes are greatly associated with spermatogenic failure. However, the frequency and the patterns of such microdeletions among infertile men are not clearly clarified.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the frequency and the patterns of Y chromosome microdeletions in azoospermic and oligozoospermic infertile men in Northeast China, and try to optimize the selection of sequence tagged sites (STSs) of AZF microdeletions in multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
  
  
  METHODS
  720 azoospermic and 330 oligozoospermic infertile men, from Northeast China were included in this retrospective study during May 2008 to November 2012. Semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Y chromosome microdeletions were detected by polymerase chain reaction assays. G-banding method was used for chromosome Karyotype analysis. Chi-square tests were used to compare patterns of Y chromosome microdeletions in azoospermic and oligozoospermic patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1050 infertile men, 12.95% cases had shown Y chromosome microdeletions, and 19.43% of cases showed abnormal chromosomal karyotype. Deletions in AZFc region was the most frequent 75.00%, followed by deletions in AZFb region 13.33%, AZFbc region 09.62%, and AZFa region 2.22%. All oligozoospermic patients showed presence of sY84, sY86, sY127, and sY134. Deletion of sY127 (p=0.0101) and sY157 (p=0.0043) showed significant difference between azoospermic group and oligozoospermic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deletions of sY127 may relate to azoospermia while sY84, sY86, sY127 can be ignored in AZF screening for oligozoospermic patients.
authors: Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Bethune Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Fadlalla
authors: F
authors: Elfateh
authors: Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Bethune Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Dai
authors: D
authors: Rulin
authors: Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Bethune Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Xin
authors: Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Bethune Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Linlin
authors: Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Bethune Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Zhu
authors: Z
authors: Haibo
authors: Center for Reproductive Medicine, First Bethune Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors: Rui-Zhi
authors: RZ
authors: Liu
keywords: Azoospermia; Oligozoospermia; PCR; Y chromosome microdeletions