Objective: To investigate the correlation of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12009, rs1140763 and rs16927997 in the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of the glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) gene with the risk of male asthenozoospermia (AZS).
Methods: We included 400 AZS patients in the AZS group and another 400 fertile men as normal controls. Using the SNaPshot technique, we genotyped the rs12009, rs1140763 and rs16927997 polymorphisms in the 3'UTR of the GRP78 gene in all the male subjects and analyzed the association of the three SNPs with AZS.
Results: The percentage of progressively motile sperm was significantly lower in the AZS group than in the normal controls (［20.09 ± 8.18］ % vs ［57.16 ± 13.45］ %, P <0.01). Three genotypes of CC, CT and TT and 2 alleles of C and T were found in rs12009 and rs1140763 of the GRP78 gene, and another three genotypes of GG, GA and AA and two alleles of G and A were observed in rs16927997. There were no statistically significant differences between the control and AZS groups in the frequencies of the C and T alleles in rs12009 (44.3% vs 47.3% and 55.7% vs 52.7%, P >0.05) or rs1140763 (50.0% vs 52.0% and 50.0% vs 48.0%, P >0.05) or those of the G and A alleles in rs16927997 (6.0% vs 4.4% and 94.0% vs 95.6%, P >0.05), nor in the genotypes and allele frequencies of the 3 polymorphisms (P >0.05). Furthermore, three haplotypes of C-C-A, T-C-G and T-T-A were observed in the male subjects but showed no evident correlation between the AZS and normal control groups.
Conclusions: The polymorphisms in the 3'UTR of the GRP78 gene are not correlated with the risk of male asthenozoospermia.
目的: 探究葡萄糖调节蛋白78（GRP78）基因3′ UTR单核苷酸多态性（rs12009、rs1140763和rs16927997位点）与弱精子症的关系。方法: 选取400例弱精子症不育男性为弱精子症组，400例有生育史的健康男性为对照组，运用多重单碱基延伸PCR（SNaPshot）对所有研究对象GRP78基因的rs12009、rs1140763和rs16927997位点进行基因分型，再分析此3个位点多态性与男性弱精子症的相关性。结果: 弱精子症组和对照组的前向运动精子百分率分别为（20.09±8.18）%、（57.16±13.45）%，两者差异具有统计学意义（P<0.01）。GRP78基因rs12009和rs1140763存在CC、CT、TT 3种基因型和C、T 2种等位基因；rs16927997存在GG、GA、AA 3种基因型和G、A 2种等位基因。在弱精子症组中，rs12009位点C、T等位基因频率分别为47.3%、52.7%；rs1140763位点C、T等位基因频率分别为52.0%、48.0%；rs16927997位点G、A等位基因频率分别为4.4%、95.6%。而在对照组中，rs12009位点C、T等位基因频率分别为44.3%、55.7%；rs1140763位点C、T等位基因频率均为50.0%；rs16927997位点G、A等位基因频率分别为6.0%、94.0%。3个位点基因型及等位基因频率在弱精子症组和对照组中的分布差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）；进一步单倍型分析，发现在弱精子症组和对照组中主要为C-C-A、T-C-G、T-T-A 3种单倍型，但也未发现单倍型与男性弱精子症存在相关性。结论: GRP78基因3′UTR多态性与男性弱精子症的发病风险不存在相关性。.
Keywords: 3′-untranslated region; asthenozoospermia; glucose-regulated protein 78 gene; polymorphism.