Association of glutathione S-transferase M1 null mutation with male infertility: A pooled data from Iranian studies

Male infertility is a complex disease in which environmental factors and genetic background are known to be the main causes of pathogenesis. The imbalance in production and elimination of free radicals due to oxidative stress can alter the risk of infertility. There are a number of genes involved in the oxidative stress process, such as the glutathione S-transferase (GST) family of genes, which may play a critical role in combating oxidative stress in the male reproductive system. Any alteration in the structure and function of these genes may increase the risk of infertility. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between GSTM1 null genotype and male infertility in Iranian men using meta-analysis. In this study, valid databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, SID, and Magiran were used to find appropriate studies. After electronic search and screening of studies, four appropriate studies were included in our meta-analysis. Data analysis revealed that GSTM1 null genotype correlated with increased risk of infertility in Iranian men. No publication bias was detected. Sensitivity analysis showed that exclusion of one study did not significantly affect the pooled odds ratios. These data suggest that the null genotype of GSTM1 may be a significant molecular risk factor for male infertility in the Iranian population. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the accuracy of these results.