Relationship between AZFc deletions and testicular histology in infertile South Chinese men with azoospermia and severe oligospermia.
BACKGROUND
The AZFc deletion has been associated with wide range of phenotypes including complete absence of germ cells in the testes (SCOS), reduction in germ cells hypospermatogenesis, and maturation arrest. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between AZFc microdeletions and testicular histology in South Chinese men with azoospermia or severe oligospermia.


RESULTS
338 men presenting with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia or severe oligospermia were evaluated between March 2012 and April 2015. Thirty-nine of the patients examined had an AZFc deletion (10.9 %). Testicular cytopathology was examined in 25 patients with an AZFc microdeletion and 14 with an AZFc deletion. There was no significant difference in the testicular histology of patients with partial or complete AZFc deletions (Mann-Whitney U = 152.500, p = 0.515). There was an association between testicular histology and gr/gr, b1/b3 or b2/b3 deletion (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.013).


CONCLUSIONS
Men with a gr/gr partial deletion were at higher risk of having hypospermatogenesis or maturation arrest. Men with a b1/b3 partial deletion were at higher risk of having maturation arrest. Men with a b2/b3 partial deletion were at higher risk of having maturation arrest or complete absence of germ cells in the testes.
Department of Urology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita Road, Suzhou, 215001 China.
Quan
Q
Li
Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029 China.
Ning-Hong
NH
Song
Department of Urology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita Road, Suzhou, 215001 China.
Wen-Zhou
WZ
Cao
Department of Urology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita Road, Suzhou, 215001 China.
Qiang
Q
Shao
Department of Urology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita Road, Suzhou, 215001 China.
Jian-Jun
JJ
Xie
Department of Urology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita Road, Suzhou, 215001 China.
Chao
C
Liu
Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029 China.
Ya-Min
YM
Wang
Department of Urology, Suzhou Municipal Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, 16 Baita Road, Suzhou, 215001 China.
Hua
H
Shen
AZFc partial deletion; FNAC; Male infertility; Spermatogenesis; Testicular phenotype