Chromosomal polymorphisms are structural variations in chromosomes that define the genomic variance of a species. These alterations are recurrent in the general population, and some of them appear to be more recurrent in the infertile population. Human chromosome 9 is highly heteromorphic, and how its rearrangement affects male fertility remains to be fully investigated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the polymorphic rearrangements of chromosome 9 and male infertility via an Italian cohort of male infertile patients. Cytogenetic analysis was carried out, along with Y microdeletion screening, semen analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and TUNEL assays using spermatic cells. Chromosome 9 rearrangements were observed in six patients: three of them showed a pericentric inversion, while the others showed a polymorphic heterochromatin variant 9qh. Of these, four patients exhibited oligozoospermia associated with teratozoospermia, along with a percentage of aneuploidy in the sperm of above 9%, in particular, an increase in XY disomy. Additionally, high values for sperm DNA fragmentation (≥30%) were observed in two patients. None of them had microdeletions to the AZF loci on chromosome Y. Our results suggest that polymorphic rearrangements of chromosome 9 might be associated with abnormalities in sperm quality due to incorrect spermatogenesis regulation.
Biomolecules. 2023 Apr 23*** epublish ***
Filomena Mottola, Marianna Santonastaso, Valentina Ronga, Renata Finelli, Lucia Rocco
Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81100 Caserta, Italy., Department of Woman, Child and General and Special Surgery, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Napoli, Italy., Prenatal Diagnosis Unit, Varelli Diagnostic Institute, 80126 Napoli, Italy., Create Fertility, London EC2V 6ET, UK.