ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a high-sensitivity, high-specificity and low-cost hydrogel chip platform for the clinical screening of Y chromosome microdeletions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Site-specific extended primers with a common sequence at the 5' end were used for hybridizing with the target. The Cy5-dUTP was incorporated into the products by primer extension, and the products were labeled with fluorescence. Then the extended products were added to the chip for hybridizing with acrylamide-modified common probes immobilized on the chip. After removal of the free Cy5-dUTP by electrophoresis, the signals were obtained by fluorescence scanning. And the detecting conditions of this method were optimized.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>SY254 of 9 samples was successfully detected with the hydrogel chip. The results showed that 3 were normal and the other 6 with microdeletions (1 female sample as a negative control), which coincided with the results of conventional multiplex PCR-electrophoresis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The hydrogel chip platform we established has provided a new technique for the detection of Y chromosome microdeletions, and is beneficial to the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.</p>