Abstract
PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the association between sperm quality assessed by routine semen analysis and sperm DNA integrity assay.MethodsIn our cross‐sectional study, a total of 318 men from the infertile couples were enrolled from December 2017 to March 2019 at the Hue Center for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Vietnam. General characteristics and semen parameters were detected. The sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was estimated by the sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) assay. A threshold of DFI 30% was applied to classify normal (DFI < 30%) or abnormal (DFI ≥ 30%) groups. The correlations between DFI and semen parameters were analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.ResultsIn the correlation analysis, DFI was significantly correlated with abnormal head and progressive motility, with a positive correlation with abnormal head (ρ = .202, P = .0003) and a weak negative correlation with progressive motility (ρ = −.168, P = .0027), respectively. In the bivariate analysis, DFI was associated with male age, smoking, and alcohol consumption with P < .05.ConclusionsThe sperm DFI was not strongly correlated with conventional semen parameters. Therefore, a sperm DNA fragmentation assay should be performed as an additional step in the investigation of male fertility.
Highlights
The success of pregnancy is influenced by both men and women
Sperm DNA damage is the major molecular cause of male infertility, which has a negative effect on reproductive outcomes in couples
This would expand the potential of sperm DNA fragmentation assay globally as a prognostic and diagnostic tool in various male infertility scenarios and their treatment management.[13]
Summary
The success of pregnancy is influenced by both men and women. Of all infertility cases, nearly 50% are due to the male factor of infertility, either as a single factor or in combination with the female factor.[1,2] Male infertility is determined by the quality of the spermatozoa, which affects their ability for fertilization. A semen analysis that evaluates sperm concentration, motility, and morphology is performed as a standard diagnostic tool to assess sperm quality (WHO, 2010).[3] In 1991, it was reported that abnormal sperm morphology impacted successful fertilization rates and pregnancy rates per cycle and increased the risk for miscarriages, even if embryo transfer was successful through in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles.. DNA fragmentation rates often correlate with semen analysis parameters through a high abnormal DFI (>30%) and may be found in up to 8% of infertile men with a normal semen analysis, suggesting an adjunct role for the standard semen analysis.[5] In studies of natural pregnancy rates stratified by DFI, the rates of conception were statistically lower among couples with an elevated DFI
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