Association of CAT C262T (rs1001179) polymorphism with male infertility: Meta-analysis

Background

In connection with the problems of infertility, one in four married couples in the world seek medical help because of the problems of the natural conception of a child. However, the biochemical and genetic mechanisms underlying male infertility are still poorly understood. This study aimed to identify a potential link between the –262C > T (rs1001179) polymorphism of the catalase (CAT) gene and pathospermia.

Methods

A total of 23 publications were analyzed up to July 2021, of which 5 case-control studies met all inclusion criteria. The analysis comprised a total of 1611 men: with pathospermia (n = 1082) and healthy donors (n = 529). Meta-analysis was performed using a “ fixed effects model” with a given OR and 95% confidence intervals for all models. The analysis of the “publication error” was carried out using the Begg and Egger tests. Then, the trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed to assess association number of studies.

Results

Three studies have refer a correlation between the CAT-262C/C genotype and the risk of pathospermia. One study did not reveal a direct relationship between the rs1001179 polymorphism and pathospermia, and another study indicated an increased risk of pathospermia in carriers of the TT genotype. Based on the data of all analyzed studies, the odds ratio was calculated for the association of the rs1001179 polymorphism of the CAT gene with pathospermia; it was found that this value is 2.7 (OR = 0,73; 95% Cl = 0,57-0,92; p = 0.007).

Conclusion

Based on the results obtained, observed that the C-262 T locus of the CAT it is related with male infertility in various populations, but it requires more studies to confirm. As it can be assumed that the association of the CAT C262T (rs1001179) polymorphism with the development of pathospermia may vary depending on the ethnic group.