Study of Y Chromosome Microdeletion in AZF Region in Infertile Males of Isfahan Population

Abstract Background & aim: One of the main genetic factors of infertility is the deletions in the chromosome Y. Accordingly this study was conducted to determine the frequency of microdeletion of AZF region in infertile men of Isfahan, Iran. Methods: In this case-control study, 100 infertile men referred to the Infertility Center of Isfahan and 100 fertile men as controls were randomly selected. Genomic DNA was extracted from their blood and amplified by sequence tagged sites-polymerase chain reaction (STS-PCR) method. The presence of microdeletion in AZF locus was diagnosed. Results: No AZFa, AZFb or AZFc deletions were found in the control group. Microdeletions were observed in one patient in AZFb region, eight patients in AZFc region and two patients in AZFa region. Conclusion: The incidence of Yq microdeletions in Iranian population is similar to the international frequency. Our data agree with other studies regarding microdeletions of AZFc, but for microdeletions of AZFa (2%) our results show smaller frequency and differ significantly with many studies. Key words: Infertility, Y chromosome, Microdeletio