PCR analysis and sequencing of the SRY sex determining gene in four patients with bilateral congenital anorchia.

OBJECTIVE

We explored the possibility of a genetic anomaly in the sex determining region of the Y chromosome, SRY gene, known to be equated to the testis determining region.

PATIENTS: Four patients with bilateral congenital anorchia, absence of testicular tissue, elevated FSH and a lack of testosterone response to human chorionic gonadotrophin stimulation tests were studied.

MEASUREMENTS: Amplification by polymerase chain reaction of the SRY gene and direct double stranded DNA sequencing were performed with the same primers.

RESULTS

The expected 648 basepairs band of SRY was detected in the four DNA samples from patients with bilateral congenital anorchia. Direct sequencing did not show any difference with the previous published sequence.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that, in the four patients, bilateral congenital anorchia is not related to an anomaly of the opening reading frame sequence of the SRY gene.