Research Article

rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest

Volume: 79 Number: 1 March 27, 2026
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rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest

Abstract

Background: Male infertility is increasingly being conceived as a biomarker of general male health status other than being a significant reproductive health issue. Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients have the worst health status impairment as well as highest risk of developing cancer. It’s well known that cancer susceptibility gene, MLH1 have roles in homologous recombination during meiosis. Mlh1 mutant mice have azoospermia with meiotic arrest. Aim: We aimed to identify risk alleles in MLH1 gene in males with nonobstructive azoospermia related maturation arrest (MA) to investigate further whether this cancer susceptibility gene is also related to male infertility. Patients and Methods: MLH1 variants were genotyped in 42 patients with MA. The variants of interest then compared to GnomAD v.3.1.2 (non-cancer) male population database and to the repository exome data of a national genetic disease evaluation center (NGDEC). Results: rs1800734 allele frequencies were significantly higher in the patient group compared to GnomAD (p<0.001) with odds ratio (OR):2.3 (1.5-3.5), and to the exome data of NGDEC (p=0.002) with OR:2 (1.3-3.1). Homozygous genotype for rs1800734 was significantly higher in the patient group compared to the GnomAD (p<0.001) with OR: 5 (2.24-11) and to the exome data (p=0.010) with OR: 3.3 (1.4-7.5). Conclusion: In this study we found rs1800734 is a risk allele for NOA related to MA. It is known that rs1800734 is related to hypermethylation of MLH1 promoter. As MLH1 hypermethylation has been shown to be increased in oligozoospermic males, the same mechanism in carcinogenesis may also exist for azoospermia in the context of rs1800734.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

220S004

Ethical Statement

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ankara University School of Medicine (reference number: İ4-210-20) and performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Medical Genetics (Excl. Cancer Genetics), Urology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 27, 2026

Submission Date

August 18, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 4, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 79 Number: 1

APA
Ülger, Y., Aydos, K., & Tuncalı, T. (2026). rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, 79(1), 82-88. https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1767777
AMA
1.Ülger Y, Aydos K, Tuncalı T. rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası. 2026;79(1):82-88. doi:10.65092/autfm.1767777
Chicago
Ülger, Yasemin, Kaan Aydos, and Timur Tuncalı. 2026. “Rs1800734: A Risk Allele for Nonobstructive Azoospermia Related to Maturation Arrest”. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası 79 (1): 82-88. https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1767777.
EndNote
Ülger Y, Aydos K, Tuncalı T (March 1, 2026) rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası 79 1 82–88.
IEEE
[1]Y. Ülger, K. Aydos, and T. Tuncalı, “rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest”, Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, vol. 79, no. 1, pp. 82–88, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.65092/autfm.1767777.
ISNAD
Ülger, Yasemin - Aydos, Kaan - Tuncalı, Timur. “Rs1800734: A Risk Allele for Nonobstructive Azoospermia Related to Maturation Arrest”. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası 79/1 (March 1, 2026): 82-88. https://doi.org/10.65092/autfm.1767777.
JAMA
1.Ülger Y, Aydos K, Tuncalı T. rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası. 2026;79:82–88.
MLA
Ülger, Yasemin, et al. “Rs1800734: A Risk Allele for Nonobstructive Azoospermia Related to Maturation Arrest”. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası, vol. 79, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 82-88, doi:10.65092/autfm.1767777.
Vancouver
1.Yasemin Ülger, Kaan Aydos, Timur Tuncalı. rs1800734: a risk allele for nonobstructive azoospermia related to maturation arrest. Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası. 2026 Mar. 1;79(1):82-8. doi:10.65092/autfm.1767777