Male infertility is a heterogeneous disorder that contributes to the impairment of spermatogenesis. The purpose of this study was to assess whether tumour suppressor p53 gene (Tp53) polymorphism is associated with idiopathic male infertility in the Iranian population. The prevalence of G → C substitution at codon 72 in exon 4 was determined in 110 idiopathic infertile azoo-/oligospermic patients and 180 fertile healthy control men. PCR-restriction fragment polymorphism analysis was employed to determine the genotypes. PCR amplicons were subjected to restriction digestion with Bstu1 and separated by gel electrophoresis. The Arg/Arg genotype was found more frequently among men with idiopathic infertility (32.7%) than among controls (17.7%). No significant difference was observed between Pro/Pro genotype and Arg/Arg + Arg/Pro genotypes among men with idiopathic infertility and controls (P = 0.11; OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.36-1.10). In contrast, a significant difference was observed in the comparison of the Arg/Arg genotype and Arg/Pro + Pro/Pro genotypes among patients and controls (P = 0.004; OR: 2.25; 95% CI: 1.29-3.90). Allele frequency evaluation suggested a significantly higher incidence of the Arg allele among infertile men compared with controls (56% versus 44%; OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 0.92-2.80). In conclusion, arginine allele appears to be at greater risk of developing idiopathic infertility in Iranian men.
© 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.