title: Expression level of chromodomain Y (CDY): potential marker for prediction of sperm recovery in non-obstructive azoospermia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The availability of testis specific genes will be of help in choosing the most promising biomarkers for the detection of testicular sperm retrieval in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Testis specific chromodomain protein Y 1 (CDY1) is a histone acetyltransferase which concentrates in the round spermatid nucleus, where histone hyperacetylation occurs and causes the replacement of histones by the sperm-specific DNA packaging proteins, TNPs and PRMs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to evaluate CDY1 gene as a marker for predicting of successful sperm retrieval in NOA patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was conducted on 29 patients with NOA who had undergone testicular sperm extraction (TESE) procedure. NOA patients were subdivided into patients with successful sperm retrieval (NOA+, n=12) and patients with unsuccessful sperm retrieval (NOA-, n=17). Relative expression of CDY1 gene and chromatin incorporation of CDY1 protein were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and ELISA assay, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Quantification of mRNA relative expression and incorporation of CDY1 protein in chromatin showed significant lower expressions and protein levels of CDY1 in testis tissues of NOA- in comparison to NOA+ group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings in this study demonstrated a correlation between the low levels of CDY1 function and unsuccessful sperm recovery in the testicular tissues of NOA- compared to NOA+ patients. Therefore, it can be reasonable to consider CDY1 as a potential biomarker for predicting the presence of spermatozoa, although the claim needs more samples to be confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Neda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Heydarian
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Raha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Favaedi
authors.affiliation: Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.; Department of Urology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sadighi Gilani
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahhoseini
keywords: Azoospermia; CDY1; Gene expression; Marker