OBJECTIVETo locate the deletion region of an azoospermic patient with a large deletion on his Y chromosome long arm.

METHODSMultiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify fifteen sequence tagged sites (STS), namely sY84, sY86, sY87 in AZFa, sY102, sY117, sY118, sY119, sY115, DYS132, DYS383, sY1015, sY121, sY125, sY127, sY129 and sY134 in AZFb, sY152 in AZFd, sY1258, sY1291, sY254, sY255, sY158 and sY1201 in AZFc, and sY160 in Yq12.

RESULTSOnly sY84, sY86, sY87, sY102, sY117, sY118, sY119, sY115 and DYS132 could be amplified while the others were negative. The breakpoints were found to locate in an area between AZFb sY115 and DYS383 spanning 8577.

CONCLUSIONThis study provided the exact breakpoints on Y chromosome AZF region in the patient.

Adult ; Azoospermia ; genetics ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; genetics ; Humans ; Male