Influence of a single nucleotide polymorphism in miR-196a2 on idiopathic asthenozoospermia in Iranian Azeri males

Introduction: Asthenozoospermia (AZS), sperm immobility, is one of the major cause of men infertility. Evidence suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in spermatogenesis process. However, the association of miRNAs polymorphisms with idiopathic male infertility remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated correlation between miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism and idiopathic AZS among Iranian Azeri men. Materials and Methods: In this study, 50 men with idiopathic AZS (case group) as well as 50 age and ethnically matched healthy men (control group) were enrolled from East Azerbaijan, Iran. The proteinase K method was used to extract the genomic DNA from sperm samples. Finally, genotyping was conducted using tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (Tetra-ARMS PCR) method. Results: The frequency of TT, TC, and CC genotypes were 12%, 54%, and 34%, respectively, in patients with AZS; whereas the figures were 8%, 40%, and 52% in healthy controls, respectively. We found a significant difference between case and control groups in term of CC genotype frequency (P = 0.016). Conclusion: We found a significant correlation between miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism and AZS in Iranian Azeri men.