The impact of luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin hormone receptor gene polymorphism rs68073206 in men with non-obstructive azoospermia: A case-control study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The functional consequences of the luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin hormone receptor (LHCGR) gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs68073206) on male infertility due to non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is not clear. AIM: Examining the association of LHCGR gene rs68073206 SNPs with the incidence of NOA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case–control study comprised of 70 unrelated Iraqi infertile men with NOA, divided into two groups: Group (I) who did not receive infertility treatment (33 patients with age of 31.58 ± 1.059 years) and group (II) that were receiving injectable gonadotropin treatment (37 patients with the age of 33.46 ± 1.173 years), in addition to 34 age and body mass index matched fertile men as a control group. The study population was genotyped by TaqMan assay for LHCGR (rs68073206) gene SNP. Hormonal levels were estimated by immunoassay technique while the sperm analyses were conducted in accordance with the WHO criteria. RESULTS: A statistically significantly higher serum inhibin B levels were revealed in the infertile group (I) patients with wild GG genotype (246.445 ± 224.106 pg/ml, p = 0.0439) as compared to that of GT and TT genotypes carriers that were (85.969 ± 71.685 pg/ml) and (56.420 ± 23.988 pg/ml), respectively. Whether carrying the homozygous GG, heterozygous GT, or homozygous TT genotype, the genotyping variations of patients did not reveal a statistically significant difference in distribution compared to control individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Genotypic prevalence of LHCGR gene rs68073206 polymorphism in infertile men with NOA did not differently distribute from that of fertile men. However, variable gonadotropin sensitivity was revealed, suggesting evidence of modulating impact on hormonal treatment outcome of male infertility.