title: Altered of microRNA expression level in oligospermic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNA (miRNA) is small endogenous, single strand RNA molecules that regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level through several mechanisms to affect key cellular event including male germ cells differentiation, proliferation, development and apoptosis. Mutation and/or aberrant expression of miRNAs have been associated with progression of various disorders, including infertility.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this research was to study the estrogen receptor beta (ERβ(, hsa-mir-21 and, hsa-mir-22 expression level in oligospermic infertile and control fertile men and correlation between them.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the change in mir-21, mir-22 expression and their common target gene (ERβ) expression levels were evaluated in oligospermic infertile men (n= 43) compared with 43 age matched healthy control by Real-Time PCR methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression analysis by qRT-PCR test on miRNA have identified that mir-21, mir-22 levels were significantly higher than those in normal controls (p<0.0001) and ERβ expression level significantly decreased in comparison with the normal group (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that mir-21 and mir-22 are indirectly involved in spermatogenesis by regulating of the estrogen receptor and might have a diagnostic and prognostic value in men infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department. of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abhari
authors.affiliation: Department. of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nosratollah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zarghami
authors.affiliation: Department. of Biochemistry and Clinical Laboratories, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Laya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Farzadi
authors.affiliation: Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Al-zahra Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran .
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nouri
authors.affiliation: Women's Reproductive Health Research Center, Al-zahra Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran .
authors.forename: Vahideh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shahnazi
keywords: Fertility; Oligospermia; microRNA; mir-21; mir-22