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High frequency of gr/gr chromosome Y deletions in consecutive oligospermic ICSI candidates.

de Llanos M, Ballescà JL, Gázquez C, Margarit E, Oliva R

Grup de Genètica Humana, Departament de Ciències Fisiològiques I, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Spain.

BACKGROUND: The Y chromosome gr/gr microdeletion eliminates two copies of the DAZ gene and several additional transcriptional units and has been associated as a risk factor for infertility. Our objective was to study the presence of the gr/gr deletion in ICSI candidates in our population and to determine whether the laboratory, clinical and ICSI outcome were different in the gr/gr deleted patients. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-three ICSI candidates were studied. Semen analysis, serum FSH, LH, testosterone, inhibin B, karyotype and detection of sequence tagged sites in the Y chromosome were performed. RESULTS: gr/gr deletions were detected in 11 (5.07%) of 217 oligospermic and in one (1.52%) of 66 azoospermic consecutive ICSI candidates, but in none of 232 controls (P=0.002). The fertility rate was not different in the four patients of the gr/gr deleted group treated by ICSI (64.38%; 47/73) as compared to average results at our center (65.49%; 2393/3654). CONCLUSIONS: gr/gr deletions are a risk factor for spermatogenic failure at our population, but the prognosis of the four patients of the gr/gr deleted group treated by ICSI is not different from that of other ICSI patients.

Published 16 December 2004 in Hum Reprod, 20(1): 216-20.
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