Mohammad Mehdi Heidari - Department of Biology, Science School, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
Mehri Khatami - Department of Biology, Science School, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
Ali Reza Talebi - Department of Anatomy, Research Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran

Objective(s) Varicocele is associated with impaired testicular function and male infertility, but the molecular mechanisms by which fertility is affected have not been satisfactorily explained. The aim of our study was to investigate whether or not the polymerase gamma (POLG) polymorphism is associated with Iranian varicocele patients.    Materials and Methods We determined the POLG CAG repeat length in DNA samples extracted from ۴۰ varicocele patients and ۳۰ control subjects by PCR-denature polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and sequencing. Results The distribution of the CAG repeat length in varicocele patients showed no notable difference from that in control subjects, but we found a significant statistical inverse correlation between ۱۰/۱۰ and ۱۰/#۱۰ genotypes and varicocele grade. Conclusion These findings indicate that POLG CAG repeats may affects the varicocele grade, but the mechanisms remain to be elucidated. 

CAG repeats length, Infertility, Mitochondria, POLG gene, Varicocele