TEM, FISH and molecular studies in infertile men with pericentric inversion of chromosome 9

Pericentric inversions involving the secondary constriction (qh) region of chromosome 9 are considered to be normal variants of human karyotype. A number of investigators have suggested that chromosomal anomalies can contribute to human infertility causing spermatogenetic derangement. The present study was aimed at verifying the influence of chromosome 9 inversion on human spermatogenesis. Semen samples of 18 male carriers of chromosome 9 inversion, analysed by light microscopy, revealed that five patients were azoospermic. PCR analysis demonstrated that two of them also had Y microdeletions. The other 13 showed generally normal sperm concentrations and reduced motility. The morphological characteristics of sperm were studied by TEM and the data were elaborated by a mathematical formula. Sperm pathologies resulted more frequently in the studied group compared to controls, particularly apoptosis. Partial sequences of the A-kinase anchoring protein (Akap) 4 and 3 genes were performed in all patients, as a previous study by our group highlighted Dysplasia of Fibrous Sheath (DFS) defect in two men with inv 9 investigations. The possible effect of chromosome 9 inversion on meiotic chromosome segregation was investigated by FISH, which showed an increased incidence of diploidy. We hypothesized that this inversion could have variable effects on spermatogenesis, from azoospermia to severely altered sperm morphology, motility and meiotic segregation.