Analysis of testicular transcriptome changes in the presence of Y-chromosomal microdeletions

We investigated the transcriptional changes in human testis in the presence of AZFc/AZFb+c microdeletions. As one encounters a dominating 'germ cell effect' in this pursuit, testicular biopsies were pre-selected by clustering based on similar quantitative germ cell composition. Statistical testing was employed to filter genes that are influenced by the 'deletion effect' using the selected subset of biopsies, thereby obtaining several hundered genes that may be involved in YCMD-induced spermatogenic impairment. A set of 34 biopsies was used from which 26 samples remained after pre-selection. Transcriptional changes of the control and YCMD groups were analyzed for hypospermatogenesis, meiotic arrest and Sertoli-cell only syndrome