AZF midrodeletions screening in infertile men of the Portuguese population

Analysis of genetic conditions associated with male infertility is, at present days, restricted to chromosome analysis, AZF Y-chromosome microdeletions screening, and to patients with hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism or with congenital absence of the vas deferens. Among different populations AZF microdeletions can explain 10-15% of the infertile phenotype of azoospermic men and 2-5% of oligozoospermic men. Here we present the results of AZF deletions screening performed in a selected group of infertile Portuguese men with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia or with oligozoospermia (men with other causes of male infertility, endocrinological alterations, varicocele, criptorquidism, professional risk factors, autosomal chromosomal abnormalities, were excluded for this study). Analysis was performed by Multiplex-PCR using specific STS for the three AZF regions. Microdeletion breakpoints were confirmed using a second multiplex-PCR. We analysed 865 infertile men (270 azospermic and 595 oligozoospermic with [spermatozoa]