The Association of Partial Azoospermia Factor C Deletions and Male Infertility in Northwestern China

Abstract

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Male infertility is a major health issue worldwide. Y chromosome microdeletions are well-characterized genetic causes of male infertility. The association of partial AZFc deletions (gr/gr, b2/b3, and b1/b3) with male infertility is not well confirmed in diverse populations. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the frequency of partial AZFc deletions and their association with male infertility in a population from Northwestern China. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to detect partial AZFc deletions in 228 infertile patients. We analyzed 141 cases of azoospermia (AS), 87 cases of oligozoospermia (OS), and 200 fertile controls. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Our data showed that the frequency of a b2/b3 deletion in infertile men, men with AS, men with OS, and controls was 3.51, 2.13, 5.75, and 0.00%, respectively. The frequency of this deletion was significantly different between the infertile group and the control group (3.51 vs. 0.00%, respectively,<i> p</i> = 0.021) and between the OS group and the control group (5.75 vs. 0.00%, respectively, <i>p</i> = 0.003). The frequency of a gr/gr deletion in each group was 11.84, 9.22, 16.09, and 7.50%, respectively. The frequency of a gr/gr deletion was significantly different between the OS group and the control group (16.09 vs. 7.50%, respectively, <i>p</i> = 0.026) but not between the infertile group and the control group (11.84 vs. 7.50%,<i> p</i> = 0.132) or the AS group and the control group (9.22 vs. 7.50%,<i> p</i> = 0.569). The frequency of a b1/b3 deletion was 0.44, 0.71, 0.00, and 3.00%, respectively. For this deletion, there was no significant difference between the infertile (0.44 vs. 3.00%,<i> p</i> = 0.089), AS (0.71 vs. 3.00%, <i>p</i> = 0.276), and OS groups (0.00 vs. 3.00%, <i>p</i> = 0.236) and the control group. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Our results suggest that the b2/b3 deletion might be associated with male infertility and that the gr/gr deletion might be associated with spermatogenic failure in men with OS in Northwestern China (Ningxia).

WITHDRAWN: Insight into Genetic × Epidemiological factors in male infertility: synergistic effect of AZFc partial deletions and habits of smokeless-chewing tobacco

“…In our study, b1/b3 deletion was recorded in severe oligozoospermic subjects (P = 0.0405) (Table 4), which is consistent with the previous ndings. Contrary to this, a recent independent study on Northwest Chinese men showed that the b1/b3 deletion was more prevalent among control men, and the authors suggested that the deletion may not be a risk factor for male infertility (P = 0.089) [45]. Studies conducted previously on Indian men revealed an association between b1/b3 sub-deletion and male infertility in the North [57] and Western Indian…”

“…A population-based survey on 20,000 Y chromosomes revealed gr/gr deletion causes severe spermatogenic failure (SSF) [38]. Several independent case-control analyses conducted in different ethnic populations identi ed gr/gr deletion as a risk factor for male infertility [39][40][41][42][43][44][45]. In contrast, a large number of independent investigations from other populations failed to demonstrate such phenotypic impact in the context of gr/gr deletion, and they proposed that this deletion might not be connected to the failure of spermatogenesis that results in male infertility [46-56].…”