Embryological Results of Couples Undergoing ICSI-ET Treatments with Males Carrying the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism rs175080 of the MLH3 Gene.
Human MLH3 (hMLH3) gene has been suggested to play a role in the DNA mismatch repair mechanism, while it may also be associated with abnormal spermatogenesis and subsequently male infertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible relationships between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs175080 in the MLH3 gene of males and the embryological results in couples undergoing intracytoplasmatic sperm injection-embryo transfer (ICSI-ET) treatments. A total of 132 men volunteered for the study and gave written informed consent. All couples were subjected to ICSI-ET treatments in the years 2010 to 2012. The couples were divided into three groups according to the genotype of their husbands: the wild type GG (n = 28), the heterozygotic type GA (n = 72) and the mutant type AA (n = 32). Significantly lower sperm concentration and progressive motility were observed in the AA group as compared to the other two groups (Concentration: 14.57 ± 4.9 mil/mL in AA, 38.3 ± 5.4 mil/mL in GA and 41.03 ± 6.8 mil/mL in GG, p < 0.05, mean ± standard error of the mean-SEM). However, significantly better embryological results (mean score of embryo quality-MSEQ) were found in the AA (8.12 ± 0.5) and the GA group (7.36 ± 0.4) as compared to the GG group (5.82 ± 0.7), (p < 0.05). Clinical pregnancy rate was significantly higher in the AA genotype group (43.8%) and the GA group (30.6%) than in the GG group (14.3%), (p < 0.05). Live birth rate was not different. It is suggested for the first time that the deteriorating effect of the mutant type on sperm characteristics does not impact on embryo development after fertilization in vitro.
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. ganif@med.uth.gr.
George
G
Anifandis
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. ranja@hotmail.com.
Ourania
O
Markandona
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. kdafop@med.uth.gr.
Konstantinos
K
Dafopoulos
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. pireaschristina@gmail.com.
Christina
C
Messini
University of Thessaly, Department of Molecular Genetics and Cytogenetics, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. atsezou@med.uth.gr.
Aspasia
A
Tsezou
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. dimitrakimarina@yahoo.com.
Marina
M
Dimitraki
University of Thessaly, Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. pgeorgoul@med.uth.gr.
Panagiotis
P
Georgoulias
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. dapontea@otenet.gr.
Alexandros
A
Daponte
University of Thessaly, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ART Unit, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Larissa 41110, Greece. messinis@uth.gr.
Ioannis
I
Messinis
D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000070956:MutL Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D055101:Semen Analysis; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
C403623:MLH3 protein, human; D000070956:MutL Proteins
embryo quality; embryology; polymorphism; pregnancy rates; sperm parameters.