Seminal long non-coding RNAs as prognostic non-invasive biomarkers in non-obstructive azoospermia

BACKGROUND: Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a multifactorial disease with high genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. The main NOA pathogenesis is still unknown, which makes it challenging to find precise biomarkers for this condition. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been linked to many processes related to male reproductive health, such as spermatogenesis and sperm maturation. So, this study investigated a panel of seven lncRNAs from the seminal plasma of patients with NOA, which has the potential to be used as noninvasive prognostic biomarkers in NOA. METHODS: The differential gene expression for seven seminal lncRNAs was assessed for 106 male subjects—53 patients with NOA and 53 normal male volunteers using qRT-PCR —followed by correlational and bioinformatics analysis for the study results. RESULTS: Six lncRNAs - CDKN2B-AS1, H19, Linc-ROR, MALAT1, MIAT, and TUG1 - showed significant differential expression between NOA and normal males. Regarding the potency of this panel as NOA diagnostic biomarkers, TUG1 (0.94), CDKN2B-AS1 (0.90), H19 (0.90), Linc-ROR (0.87), and MALAT1 (0.80) showed to be excellent biomarkers. On the other side, the potency of this panel as prognostic biomarkers for TESE outcome prediction showed that Linc-ROR, TUG1, CDKN2B-AS1, and H19 were very good biomarkers. CONCLUSION: LncRNAs hold the potential to improve the current knowledge about male infertility pathogenesis by highlighting their role in the pathophysiology of NOA and their potential clinical utility in its diagnosis and prognosis.