mtDNA(4977) deletion is not a common feature in patients with premature ovarian failure and primary infertility

The aim of the current study was to investigate the incidence of mtDNA(4977) deletion in peripheral blood leukocytes of patients diagnosed with premature ovarian failure (POF) and primary infertility. The study group consisted of 17 patients with POF, 32 women with primary infertility, and 31 fertile women with the prevalence of the mtDNA(4977) deletion using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based technology. None of the patients affected by POF revealed mtDNA(4977) deletion. This deletion was detected only in one 26-year-old infertile patient. No significant difference in relation to mtDNA(4977) deletion was reported between the groups investigated (p > 0.05). In conclusion, mtDNA(4977) deletion is not a common finding in peripheral blood leukocytes of women affected by POF and primary infertility. The occurrence of mtDNA(4977) deletion in women between 20 and 39 years of age may not increase with increasing patients' age, independently of their fertility status.