Abstract
Varicocele is the first etiology of infertility in men worldwide and affects almost half of the men dealing with infertility in Senegal. Varicocele is associated with a high rate of sperm DNA fragmentation so this test is being more and more recommended especially when patients have to benefit from an ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) procedure. The aim of our study was to assess if our patients with varicocele are concerned by higher DNA fragmentation rate in spermatozoon. Sperm samples were collected (95 cases of varicocele and 30 controls) and analyzed between January 2013 and June 2016 in a prospective study. Sperm DNA damage, characterized by the rate of DNA fragmentation was evaluated by TUNEL assay using fluorescence microscopy. There was a significant higher percentage of DNA fragmentation in patients with varicocele (p < 0.001), compared to controls. We plan to study a bigger cohort to assess this tendency and study the benefits of surgery in varicocele by evaluating DNA fragmentation after the procedure.
Highlights
Varicocele is associated with a high rate of sperm DNA fragmentation so this test is being more and more recommended especially when patients have to benefit from an ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) procedure
Infertile men may have increased sperm DNA fragmentation [1] and varicocele that seems to be the first etiology of male infertility [2] [3], are correlated with high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation index [4]
New data suggest that varicocelectomy improves sperm DNA damage in infertile men [12] and some authors like Kadioglu [13], reported that high preoperative DNA fragmentation index was associated with a large decrease of DNA fragmentation in spermatozoon after surgery
Summary
Infertile men may have increased sperm DNA fragmentation [1] and varicocele that seems to be the first etiology of male infertility [2] [3], are correlated with high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation index [4]. Thanks to progress in molecular biology we know that all that phenomena can be responsible for increased oxidative stress [9] [10] and decreased anti-oxidant capacity on animal’s models [11]. The fact that apoptosis and oxidative stress are two main mechanisms of DNA fragmentation in spermatozoon, could explain why DNA fragmentation is increased in patients with varicocele. The aim of our study was to evaluate DNA fragmentation among our patients and assess the association of varicocele with increased DNA fragmentation in our population
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