The case-control study strongly suggested a significant association between loci rs3129878, rs498422 and rs7194 and NOA (P = 6.75 × 10<sup>-21</sup> (OR = 2.2586), P = 0.0060 (OR = 1.4013) and P = 0.0128 (OR = 1.2626) respectively).
Interestingly, the normozoospermic males with the risk genotypes of rs12097821 and rs3129878 + rs10842262 + rs12097821 were observed to have higher total sperm counts relative to non-risk genotypes, suggesting that the risk alleles of the genetic loci may not be via impairing spermatogenic ability to express susceptibility to NOA.