[Screening for the microdeletions of azoospermia factor on the Y chromosome in male infertile patients from Guangzhou].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between microdeletion of azoospermia factor (AZF) and male infertility.

METHODS: Multiplex PCR was used to detect Y chromosome microdeletion in AZFa, AZFb and AZFc in 103 cases of idiopathic azoospermia, 72 cases of severe idiopathic oligozoospermia, and 60 healthy male controls.

RESULTS: No microdeletion was found in 60 controls. Y chromosome microdeletion was found in 19 of 175 azoospermia patients, the total prevalence rate of microdeletion was 10.9%. There were 15 cases (11 for azoospermia, 4 for severe oligozoospermia) in AZFc (8.6%), 3 cases (1 for azoospermia, 2 for severe oligozoospermia) in AZFb+c (1.7%), 1 case (azoospermia) in AZFa+b+c (0.6%). According to statistics, the difference of microdeletion rate between two groups was significant(P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: Y chromosome microdeletions is an important reason of azoospermia. Screening of Y chromosome microdeletions for azoospermia patients before intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment is essential.