Male infertility: analysis of the markers and genes on the human Y chromosome

The long arm of the human Y chromosome is required for male fertility.Deletions in three different regions can cause severe spermatogenic defectsranging from non-obstructive azoospermia to oligozoospermia. Use ofintracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may allow Y chromosome defects tobe passed from father to son. Thus, numerous reports have stressed the needto offer genetic testing to infertile men who select ICSI and a number ofreproductive clinics have begun to do so. The primary objectives of thisreview were: firstly, to discuss the characteristics of the published setof polymerase chain reaction markers and how these characteristics affectinterpretation of Y chromosome deletion analysis and secondly, to summarizethe recent literature pertaining to the genes on the Y chromosome.