DAZ1/DAZ2 cluster deletion mediated by gr/gr recombination per se may not be sufficient for spermatogenesis impairment: a study of Chinese normozoospermic men.

Aim: To explore the possible effect of the deleted in azoospermia (DAZ) copy cluster deletion on spermatogenesis in the Chinese population, the deletion of the azoospermia factor c (AZFc) region was analyzed in 346 normozoospermic men.

Methods: Three DAZ single nucleotide variant loci and seven AZFc-specific sequence-tagged sites were examined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism and routine PCR.

Results: Five (1.4%) of the normozoospermic men were found to have deletion of gr/gr-DAZ1/DAZ2. None of the men were found to have b2/b4-entire DAZ deletion.

Conclusion: The presence of gr/gr-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletion in five men with normozoospermia suggests that this deletion per se may not be sufficient for spermatogenic impairment in Chinese men.