Polymorphism of the androgen receptor gene CAG repeat sequence and male climacteric syndrome

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between polymorphism of the androgen receptor (AR) gene CAG repeat sequence and the climacteric syndrome in men. The study was performed in 103 males with climacteric syndrome and 111 males without the clinical syndrome of climacteric, aged between 40 and 70 years. DNA sequencing of the CAG repeat sequence in the N-terminal domain of the first exon of the AR gene was analyzed. The AR allele length ranged from 18-34 CAG repeats in males with climacteric syndrome. The average value of CAG repeat was 24.7±2.58. However, the corresponding values ranged from 15-24 CAG repeat in control group and the average value of CAG repeat was 21.25±2.63. There was a significant difference of the number of CAG repeat between the two groups. The occurrence of male climacteric syndrome was related to the CAG repeat number of androgen receptor gene, and the male patients with more CAG repeats had higher risk of clinical syndrome of climacteric. The detection of CAG repeat number of AR gene might be helpful for the prediction of clinical syndrome of climacteric.