Epigenetic Alteration in DNA methylation pattern and gene expression level using H19 on oligospermia patients in Iraqi Men

Abstract

Epigenetics refers to heritable and reversible forms of gene activity and expression without any modification of DNA sequences. The prepares of this study to determine sperm DNA methylation at promoter region in oligospermia males compared to normospermia males, to identify the alteration in epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation patterns of H19 gene and it related to the expression level of H19 gene) that causes germ-cell arrest leading to infertility, and evaluate the correlation between the gene expression level and semen parameters of infertile males. The case-control study semen samples were collected from 50 infertile males as oligospermia (OZ) and 50 fertile males as normospermia (NZ). The semen samples were used for examination and estimation of DNA methylation pattern defects by quantitative Real-time PCR (qPCR) and the effect of gene expression level by Reverse Transcriptase Real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) using H19 gene. The result of H19 DNA methylation semen samples was provided hypomethylation patients and was produce an up-regulation expression level of the H19 gene effect on oligospermia patients.