Genetic Variation of Choline Dehydrogenase Gene in Idiopathic Male Infertility

Infertility can be caused by an unexplained reduction in semen quality in males who present as normal on physical examination and endocrine testing. There is some evidence that aberrant metabolism of micronutrients such as choline may play a causative role in male factor infertility. Choline is a crucial factor in the regulation of sperm membrane structure and motility, and this nutrient plays an important role in the maturing and fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa. In the present study, we explored the contribution of the choline dehydrogenase gene polymorphism located in the codon 78 (CHDH +432G>T), one of the basic enzymes of choline metabolism, to idiopathic male infertility. In this study, 50 infertile men and 50 fertile men of the Guilan population were selected. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc software (v12.1.4.0). A significant difference was observed between patients and healthy subjects in the distribution of G and T alleles. The prevalence of genotype frequencies of CHDH +432 GG, GT, and TT were 28%, 50%, and 22%, respectively, in patients, while in healthy subjects they were 52%, 36%, and 12%, respectively. In other words, there was a significant difference in the genotype distribution of CHDH +432G>T in patients compared with controls (Ρ<0.05). This finding suggests a possible influence of this gene polymorphism on idiopathic male infertility.