Genetic markers could explain male infertility

Currently, male infertility is assessed by looked at sperm under a microscope, but this method can miss fertility issues due to genetic or molecular factors. Researchers at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute and the Puigvert Foundation identified a gene expression fingerprint associated with very low pregnancy rates in semen donors with normal seminal quality. Included in the study were 68 single, young and healthy donors. The expression profile of 85 genes in the sperm of donors was analyzed using technology the researchers developed, which is now protected by a European patent application. Differences in expression were observed among eight samples with worse and better pregnancy rates. It was found that combining the results of the expression of four of these genes resulted to a higher sensitivity to recognize subfertile individuals than the classical analysis of semen (82 percent versus 23 percent). This discovery may explain the origin of male infertility.