Polymorphism of mitochondrial DNA genes involved in asthenozoospermia in infertile patients of Côte d’Ivoire

Objective: The relationship between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms and abnormalities in sperm quality has been the subject of several studies, with the objective of improving the treatment of male infertility. This study, which contributes to the identification of genetic markers of sperm abnormalities, was conducted to study mtDNA mutations in the asthenozoospermia profile. Methods: This case-control study included 30 patients with asthenozoospermia and 28 with normospermia after spermogram and spermocytogram analyses. After the extraction of total DNA from the spermatozoa of 58 ejaculates from these individuals using the phenol-chloroform method, the amplification of genes of interest in mtDNA using specific primers was performed by conventional polymerase chain reaction, and sequencing was used to detect mutations. Results: Male patients with asthenozoospermia in the tertiary sector had significantly more mutant- than wild-type (P = 0.0005) MT-CO II genes. Similarly, for the same gene, males with asthenozoospermia and primary infertility had significantly more mutants than the wild-type (P = 0.001). Sequencing revealed 29 mutations that were observed only with asthenozoospermia, which could be the basis for low sperm mobility. Conclusion: This study identified several mutations in mtDNA genes that could be considered genetic markers of asthenozoospermia if confirmed in a deeper study.