• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.51-56
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• 1997

Spermatogenesis is known to be regulated by a number of genes and several factors such as hormones, growth factors, cytokines and others. This study was done to evaluate the relationship between HSPs and DAZ genes in human spermatogenesis; we observed the expression pattern of HSP gene in azoospermia men with DAZ gene that regulated the gene expression related with human spermatogenesis. RT-PCR method was used to detect DAZ, HSP70A, and HSP70B transcripts in all RNA samples. Total RNA was extracted from 21 testis tissues using TRIZOL reagent. cDNAs were synthesized with reverse transcriptase, AMV. All PCR reaction were performed on a PCR themocycler with DAZ, HSP70A, and HSP70B-specific primers. Semen analysis, karyotyping and testis histology were performed. DAZ gene, known as a candidate gene of azoospermia factor(AZF), was deleted in 2 of 21 patients. To evaluate the only effects of HSPs in this patients, 2 DAZ deleted cases were removed. We observed the mRNA of HSP70B in 5 whereas none could be seen with regard to HSP70A. Furthermore, the sperm of these 5 men were discovered to be immature. In conclusion, HSP70B as well ad DAZ gene seem to be involved causing spermatogenic failure. We suggest that HSP70B plays an important role in spermatogenesis and it is one of factors induced sperm maturation in human.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.367-377
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• 1996

Genes on the long arm of Y chromosome, particularly interval 6, are believed to playa critical role in human spermatogenesis. The objective of this study was to validate a sequenced-tagged site(STS)-mapping strategy for the detection of Yq microdeletion and to use this method to determine the proportion of men with Yq microdeletions in idiopathic, obstructive, nonobstructive azoospermia, severe OATS and in normal males. We analyzed three STS markers mapped to interval 6 within long arm of the Y chromosome from 106 nonobstructive, 30 obstructive azoospermia, 15 severe OATS patients, and normal 42 males in Korean men. By PCR, we tested leukocyte DNA, for the presences of STS markers(DAZ, sY129 and sY134) and SRY gene as internal control. And PCR results were confirmed by Southern hybridization, and were investigated by SSCP analysis for DAZ gene mutation. None of 42 normal males and 30 obstructive azoospermia had microdeletions, Of the 15 severe OATS typed with DAZ, sY129 and sY134, 3(20.0%) patients failed to amplify 1 or more STS markers, and of the 106 nonobstructive azoospermia typed with DAZ, sY129 and sY134, 12(11.3%) patients failed to amplify 1 or more STS markers. From these results, high prevalence(12.4%) of Yq deletion(DAZ, sY129, sY134) in men with nonobstructive idopathic azoospermia and severe OATS were observed in Korean infertility patients. To avoid the infertile offspring by assisted reproductive technique using ICSI or ROSI, genetic diagnosis will be needed in IVF-ET program.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2007

Objective: To determine whether the presence of Y-chromosome microdeletion affects the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) program. Methods: Fourteen couples with microdeletion in azoospermic factor (AZF)c region who attempted IVF/ICSI or cryopreserved and thawed embryo transfer cycles were enrolled. All of the men showed severe oligoasthenoteratoazoospermia (OATS) or azoospermia. As a control, 12 couples with OATS or azoospermia and having normal Y-chromosome were included. Both groups were divided into two subgroups by sperm source used in ICSI such as those who underwent testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and those used ejaculate sperm. We retrospectively analyzed our database in respect to the IVF outcomes. The outcome measures were mean number of good quality embryos, fertilization rates, implantation rates, $\beta$-hCG positive rates, early pregnancy loss and live birth rates. Results: Mean number of good quality embryos, implantation rates, $\beta$-hCG positive rates, early pregnancy loss rates and live birth rates were not significantly different between Y-chromosome microdeletion and control groups. But, fertilization rates in the Y-chromosome microdeletion group (61.1%) was significantly lower than that of control group (79.8%, p=0.003). Also, the subgroup underwent TESE and having AZFc microdeletion showed significantly lower fertilization rates (52.9%) than the subgroup underwent TESE and having normal Y-chromosome (79.5%, p=0.008). Otherwise, in the subgroups used ejaculate sperm, fertilization rates were showed tendency toward lower in couples having Y-chromosome microdeletion than couples with normal Y-chromosome. (65.5% versus 79.9%, p=0.082). But, there was no significance statistically. Conclusions: In IVF/ICSI cycles using TESE sperm, presence of V-chromosome microdeletion may adversely affect to fertilization ability of injected sperm. But, in cases of ejaculate sperm available for ICSI, IVF outcome was not affected by presence of Y-chromosome AZFc microdeletion. However, more larger scaled prospective study was needed to support our results.