Objective: To investigate the relationship between follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and AZF microdeletion on Y chromosome.
Methods: Fifteen loci of 4 regions of the AZF gene were investigated by multiplex PCR in 100 patients with azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. The reproductive hormone FSH was detected by access 2 immunoassay system from BECKMAN COULTER. Epidata was set up and analyzed for means. F test of anova was performed.
Results: The rate of microdeletion was 13% (13 out of 100 patients). The deletion was on AZFa in 1 patient, AZFb+c+d in 4 patients, AZFc+d in 7 patients, AZFd in 1 patient, respectively. The level of FSH (40.8±11.3 U/L) in the AZFb+c+d deletion group was significantly higher than that in the group without Y chromosome deletion (16.7±14.3 U/L) and the other types of deletion (11.8±6.7 U/L) (P<0.01).
Conclusion: The common microdeletion regions were AZFc and AZFd on Y chromosome in azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia. The microdeletion of AZFb+c+d was one of the important causes of the high level of FSH.