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The relationship between p53 codon 72 genetic polymorphism and sperm parameters. A study of men with varicocele

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Reproductive Medicine and Biology

Abstract

Purpose

Regulation of the apoptotic process has an important role in spermatogenesis. p53 has a prominent function in apoptosis and recent data suggest a relationship between varicocele and p53 codon 72 polymorphism and male infertility. This prompted us to study the relationship between this polymorphism and spermatic parameters.

Methods

We studied 134 subjects with varicocele admitted consecutively to the outpatients Department of Infertility at the University of Rome La Sapienza. We investigated in these subjects the effect of a strong apoptosis inducer, the p53 codon 72 *Arg/*Arg genotype, on spermatic parameters.

The p53 codon 72 genotype was determined by DNA analysis.

Results

The proportion of spermatozoa with abnormal (curvilinear) motility is higher in men with the *Arg/*Arg genotype than in men carrying the *Pro allele (p = 0.003). No statistical significant relationship has been observed with spermatozoa concentration and atypical spermatozoa.

Conclusions

We conclude: the p53 codon 72*Arg/*Arg genotype, with its strong apoptotic effects, negatively influences spermatozoa motility and male fertility.

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Conflict of interest

Vincenzo Gentile, Maria Nicotra, Sergio Minucci, Sara Ambrosi, Patrizia Saccucci, Fulvia Gloria-Bottini and Egidio Bottini declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human rights statements and informed consent

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and its later amendments. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Animal studies

This article does not contain any studies with animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynaecologic, Obstetric and Urologic Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    V. Gentile, M. Nicotra & S. Ambrosi

  2. S. Camillo Hospital, Rome, Italy

    S. Minucci

  3. Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy

    P. Saccucci, F. Gloria-Bottini & E. Bottini

Authors
  1. V. Gentile
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  2. M. Nicotra
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  3. S. Minucci
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  4. S. Ambrosi
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  5. P. Saccucci
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  6. F. Gloria-Bottini
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  7. E. Bottini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Bottini.

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Cite this article

Gentile, V., Nicotra, M., Minucci, S. et al. The relationship between p53 codon 72 genetic polymorphism and sperm parameters. A study of men with varicocele. Reprod Med Biol 14, 11–15 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-014-0188-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12522-014-0188-y

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