CAG repeat expansion in the androgen receptor gene is not associated with male infertility in Indian populations

Abstract

CAG repeat expansion in exon 1 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been reported to be associated with male infertility in some but not all populations. Until now, studies have not been carried out to examine this among Indian populations. For the first time, we have analyzed the CAG repeat motif in the AR gene in 280 men with azoospermia and in 201 men with normal fertility. The mean number of CAG repeats in the AR gene of men with azoospermia was 21.7±0.18, with a high incidence of repeat number 22. Among fertile-control men, the mean number of CAG repeats was 22.4±0.19, with a predominance of repeat number 23. The highest number of CAG repeats (32) was found with low frequency in both fertile and azoospermic groups. Comparison of fertile men and those with azoospermia on the basis of CAG repeats revealed that the number of CAG repeats in both groups were similar, as revealed with a paired t test (t=0.04; P=.967). Expansion of the CAG repeat in the AR gene is therefore not associated with male infertility in Indian populations. This suggests that what is true for one population may not be true for other populations.