• PMID: 21218642
• Gene Name: TNF
• Condition: Asthenospermia
• Association: Regardless of sperm density, the frequently of TNFalpha-308 GA/AA is negatively correlated with the percentage ofgrade a + b sperm, which may be associated with the level of TNFalpha in the seminal plasma. Accordingly, anti-TNFalpha therapy might be effec
• Mutation: minus 308 genotype polymorphism in the promoter region of TNFalpha gene
• Population size: 187
• Population details: 187 (infertile male patients, who were divided into Groups A (asthenospermia, n = 60), B (oligoasthenozoospermia, n = 65) and C (infertile patients with normal sperm, n = 62))
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Other associated phenotypes: Male infertility

[Tumor necrosis factor alpha-308 polymorphism and asthenospermia]

Li T, Zhang W, Guo BH, Li GP, Luo NQ, Guo QH, Wang W, Li ZB, Chen YR.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between -308 genotype polymorphism in the promoter region of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) gene and asthenospermia in infertile men. METHODS: Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were used to analyze the genotype at position -308 in the promoter region of the TNFalpha gene in 187 infertile male patients, who were divided into Groups A (asthenospermia, n = 60), B (oligoasthenozoospermia, n = 65) and C (infertile patients with normal sperm, n = 62). The levels of TNFalpha in the seminal plasma from these patients were measured by radioimmunoassay, and all the data were statistically analyzed by SPSS16.0. RESULTS: Groups A and B exhibited significant differences from C in the frequency of GA/AA at position 308 in the promoter region of the TNFalpha gene (21.67% and 26.15% versus 8.06%, P < 0.05). Spearman analysis showed a negative correlation between the GA + AA type of the TNFalpha-308 allele and the percentage of grade a + b sperm (r = -0.690, P < 0.05). The level of TNFalpha in the seminal plasma was significantly elevated in Groups A ([4.23 +/- 0.45] ng/ml) and B ([4.29 +/- 0.47] ng/ml) as compared with C ([4.03 +/- 0.66] ng/ml, P < 0.05), but with no significant differences between Groups A and B (P > 0.05). It was also significantly higher in the GA+AA ([4.61 +/- 0.29] ng/ml) than in the GGtype ([4.06 +/- 0.45] ng/ml, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Regardless of sperm density, the frequently of TNFalpha-308 GA/AA is negatively correlated with the percentage of grade a + b sperm, which may be associated with the level of TNFalpha in the seminal plasma. Accordingly, anti-TNFalpha therapy might be effective for asthenospermia, and the measurement of the TNFalpha level in the seminal plasma can be an auxiliary diagnostic marker for male infertility. FAU - Li, Tao AU - Li T AD - Department of Andrology, Baoji Women and Children's Health Hospital, Baoji, Shaanxi 721000, China. litao22222828@sina.com FAU - Zhang, Wei AU - Zhang W FAU - Guo, Bai-Hong AU - Guo BH FAU - Li, Guo-Ping AU - Li GP FAU - Luo, Neng-Qin AU - Luo NQ FAU - Guo, Qing-Hua AU - Guo QH FAU - Wang, Wei AU - Wang W FAU - Li, Zhao-Bin AU - Li ZB