Microdeletions in the Y chromosome of patients with idiopathic azoospermia.

Aim: To evaluate the occurrence and prevalence of microdeletions in the Y chromosome of patients with azoospermia. Methods: DNA from 29 men with idiopathic azoospermia was screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with a set of Y chromosome specific sequence-tagged sites (STSs) to determine microdeletions in the Y chromosome. Results: Deletions in the DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) loci sY254 and sY255 were found in three patients with idiopathic azoospermia, resulting in an estimated frequency of deletions of 10.7% in idiopathic azoospermia men. Conclusion: We conclude that PCR analysis is useful for the diagnosis of microdeletions in the Y chromosome, which is important when deciding the suitability of a patient for assisted reproductive technology such as testicular sperm extracion-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (TESE-ICSI).