Molecular and cytogenetic analysis of infertile Hakka men with azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia in southern China

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of chromosome abnormalities and azoospermia factor (AZF) microdeletions in Hakka men with infertility in southern China. METHODS: Hakka male patients, who received clinical counselling for infertility between August 2016 and October 2017, and fertile male controls, were enrolled into this retrospective study. Patients diagnosed with infertility and controls underwent cytogenetic analysis by standard G-banding; AZF microdeletions were examined by multiplex polymerase chain reaction and capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS: Out of 918 male patients who received fertility counselling, 57 were diagnosed with infertility due to azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. Of these infertile patients, 22.81% (13/57) carried chromosome abnormalities, with 47, XXY being the most common abnormal karyotype. In addition, 36.84% (21/57) presented with Y chromosome microdeletions, most frequently in the complete AZFc and partial AZFc region. Duplication of the AZFc region was found in three patients. No AZF microdeletions were found in 60 fertile male controls. CONCLUSION: The high AZF microdeletion frequency in the current Hakka population suggests that AZF microdeletion analysis is essential in fertility screening, and combined with cytogenetic analysis, may influence the choice of assisted reproductive techniques and reduce the risk of inherited genetic disease.