Possible Role of Parental Consanguinity in Males with Azoospermia in Palestine
Publication Type
Conference Paper
Authors

Background and purpose: Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples globally. In up to half of these couples, male infertility plays a role. Recently, several studies have correlated between male infertility and parental consanguinity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parental consanguinity in males with azoospermia in Palestine.

Methodology: We used a case-control study design. Cases were 149 men with azoospermia (absence of sperm in the semen) who were treated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection using either testicular fine-needle aspiration or testicular sperm extraction at Razan’s Fertility Center in Nablus during 2014-2016. The controls were 157 fertile males. Both groups reported information on their parental consanguinity status. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between parental consanguinity and azoospermia, which was summarized using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: About 54% of males with azoospermia had parental consanguinity in comparison with only 18% of males in the control group. Men with azoospermia had significantly higher odds of parental consanguinity by 3.45 times (95% CI, 2.03 to 5.86) than fertile men.

 Conclusion: We conclude that parental consanguinity might predispose couples to have infertile sons with azoospermia, most likely due to genetic recessive disorders. Identifying the causal genes for these disorders will a valuable tool in pre-marital screening for consanguineous marriages. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the role of parental consanguinity in males with azoospermia in Palestine. This study enhances future research for raising awareness about the serious effects of consanguineous marriages on the reproductive health of male offspring.

Background and purpose: Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples globally. In up to half of these couples, male infertility plays a role. Recently, several studies have correlated between male infertility and parental consanguinity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parental consanguinity in males with azoospermia in Palestine.

Methodology: We used a case-control study design. Cases were 149 men with azoospermia (absence of sperm in the semen) who were treated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection using either testicular fine-needle aspiration or testicular sperm extraction at Razan’s Fertility Center in Nablus during 2014-2016. The controls were 157 fertile males. Both groups reported information on their parental consanguinity status. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between parental consanguinity and azoospermia, which was summarized using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: About 54% of males with azoospermia had parental consanguinity in comparison with only 18% of males in the control group. Men with azoospermia had significantly higher odds of parental consanguinity by 3.45 times (95% CI, 2.03 to 5.86) than fertile men.

 Conclusion: We conclude that parental consanguinity might predispose couples to have infertile sons with azoospermia, most likely due to genetic recessive disorders. Identifying the causal genes for these disorders will a valuable tool in pre-marital screening for consanguineous marriages. To our knowledge, this is the first study of the role of parental consanguinity in males with azoospermia in Palestine. This study enhances future research for raising awareness about the serious effects of consanguineous marriages on the reproductive health of male offspring.

Conference
Conference Title
7th Pan Arab Human Genetics conference 2018
Conference Country
United Arab Emirates
Conference Date
Jan. 18, 2018 - Jan. 20, 2018
Conference Sponsor
Centre for Arab Genomic studies
Additional Info
Conference Website