Abstract

Background: Infertility affects a major proportion of the individuals in the reproductive
age group. About 40-50% of infertile cases are contributed by the female factors.
Several cases of female infertility remain unexplained. There are several genetic factors
associated with female infertility. Among these genetic factors, the most important
factors are gene mutations, chromosomal abnormalities, and epigenetic factors. There
are several single gene mutations reported in female infertility. The present study was
conducted to screen the CD8 gene in unexplained cases of female infertility in the Thi-
Qar province.
Material and methods: In the cross sectional, comparative study conducted over the
year of 2018, 42 females were recruited. Among the 42 females, 11 were diagnosed to
have primary infertility, 11 had secondary infertility, and 20 were healthy fertile controls.
Venous blood was collected in EDTA coated vials by venipuncture. DNA was extracted
and the CD8 gene was PCR amplified and sequenced to screen for any mutations.
Result: Only 1 out of 22 patients (4.55%) showed a sequence change in the CD8 gene.
This patient showed one transition mutation (C418T) and one transversion mutation
(T419G). These mutations were absent in the controls.
Conclusion: Our study did not confirm the role of CD8 gene mutations in idiopathic
female infertility. However, further extensive studies should be conducted to
understand the role of CD8 gene mutations in idiopathic female infertility.