Characteristics of spermatogenesis in infertile men with the AZFc region deletions

<p align="LEFT">Spermatogenetic defects were analyzed in the cohort of 218 russian infertile men with various AZFc region deletions of the Y chromosome. Clear differences were found in both the percentage of pathozoospermia forms and sperm concentration between infertile men with complete (b2/b4) and partial (b2/b3 and gr/gr) AZFc deletions. Sperm concentration in the carriers of b2/b4, gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions, were 0.37 ± 0.13, 12.2 ± 7.1 and 30.3 ± 5.3 mln/ml, respectively. Severe spermatogenesis defects were detected in 93, 42 and 57 % patients with b2/b4, b2/b3 and gr/gr deletions, respectively. Quantitative karyological analysis of immature germ cells from ejaculate sediment revealed from incomplete spermatogenesis arrest at prepaсhytene stages to complete spermatogenesis depletion. Moderate oligozoospemia and/or astheno-, teratozoospermia were found in 7; 20; 30 %; and 0; 38; 10 % of the carriers of b2/b4, b2/b3 and gr/gr deletions, respectively.</p><em>