Screening for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene mutations in men included in an intracytoplasmic sperm injection programme

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the frequency and nature of mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene in infertile patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection. A total of 90 patients were screened for a panel of 10 mutations in the CFTR gene frequently involved in congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD); the patients included 14 with azoospermia and CAVD, 39 patients with azoospermia without CAVD (n = 39) and 37 patients with severe oligozoospermia. The length of the polymorphic polypyrimidine tract (allele 5T, 7T and 9T) in the intron 8/exon 9 splice-acceptor site was also determined. In 10 out of 14 patients with CAVD, CFTR mutations were found; nine patients had one Delta F508 mutation and one patient had two CFTR mutations (N1303K/R117H). Allele 5T was present in eight of these patients. In six patients, 5T was the non-Delta F508 allele and in two patients there was no known CFTR mutation. None of the CFTR mutations were observed in patients with azoospermia without CAVD or with severe oligozoospermia and the frequency of allele 5T was 3.6% (three out of 78 alleles) and 1.35% tone out of 74 alleles) respectively. Our observation suggests that the CFTR gene is not involved in either spermatogenesis or in the pathology of the genital tract, except for CAVD.