ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ubiquitin-specific protease 8 gene (USP8) with male infertility among ethnic Han Chinese from Sichuan.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 316 infertile males were recruited (case group), which included 72 severe oligozoospermic (SO) cases and 244 non-obstructive azoospermic (NOA) cases. The control group consisted of 149 fertile males. The genotypes of 4 SNPs (rs2241769, rs11857513, rs7174015 and rs3743044) were determined with a Sequenom MassArray technique. The frequencies of genotype, allele and haploptye were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant difference was detected in the allelic or genotypic frequencies of the 4 SNPs between the two groups (P>0.05). Based on linkage disequilibrium analysis and haplotype construction, the frequency distribution of haplotype CAAG showed a significant difference between non-obstructive azoospermic patients and the controls (P=0.021).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 4 SNPs (rs2241769, rs11857513, rs7174015 and rs3743044) of USP8 gene may not be associated with male infertility in ethnic Hans from Sichuan. While the haplotype CAAG may be a down-regulating factor for the risk of NOA.</p>