You have accessJournal of UrologyInfertility: Epidemiology & Evaluation I (MP26)1 Apr 2020MP26-03 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISOLATED TERATOZOOSPERMIA, SPERM DNA FRAGMENTATION AND INFLAMMATORY BIOMARKERS: FINDINGS FROM A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY Luca Boeri*, Paolo Capogrosso, Walter Cazzaniga, Eugenio Ventimiglia, Edoardo Pozzi, Federico Belladelli, Massimo Alfano, Pederzoli Filippo, Costantino Abbate, Vincenzo Mirone, Emanuele Montanari, Francesco Montorsi, and Andrea Salonia Luca Boeri*Luca Boeri* More articles by this author , Paolo CapogrossoPaolo Capogrosso More articles by this author , Walter CazzanigaWalter Cazzaniga More articles by this author , Eugenio VentimigliaEugenio Ventimiglia More articles by this author , Edoardo PozziEdoardo Pozzi More articles by this author , Federico BelladelliFederico Belladelli More articles by this author , Massimo AlfanoMassimo Alfano More articles by this author , Pederzoli FilippoPederzoli Filippo More articles by this author , Costantino AbbateCostantino Abbate More articles by this author , Vincenzo MironeVincenzo Mirone More articles by this author , Emanuele MontanariEmanuele Montanari More articles by this author , Francesco MontorsiFrancesco Montorsi More articles by this author , and Andrea SaloniaAndrea Salonia More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000000865.03AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: According to 2010 WHO reference values for human semen characteristics, teratozoospermia is defined when spermatozoa with morphologically normal forms are <4%. Isolated teratozoospermia (iTERATO) is frequently associated with infertility, fertilization success at ART and increased markers of sperm damage (i.e., sperm DNA fragmentation index (SDF) or reactive oxygen species). We aimed to assess the prevalence of and the clinical and hormonal characteristics of men with iTERATO seeking first medical help for primary couple’s infertility. METHODS: Data from 1857 primary infertile men (median (IQR) age 37 (21-41) years) were analyzed. Health-significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Semen analysis, srum hormones and SDF (with SDF ≥30% at SCSA = pathologic) were investigated in every patient. A complete blood count was requested for every man and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and the monocyte-to-eosinophil ratio (MER) were calculated. Data from a cohort of 103 age-matched fertile men was also collected. Descriptive statistics tested the association between clinical and hormonal characteristics in patients with iTERATO, and either isolated oligozoospermia (iOLIGO) or asthenozoospermia (iASTHENO). RESULTS: Of 1857 patients, 223 (12%), 83 (4.5%) and 258 (13.9%) had semen parameters suggestive for iTERATO, iOLIGO and iASTHENO, respectively. Of 103 fertile men, iTERATO was found in 37 (35.9%) cases. Patient’s age, BMI and CCI were comparable between groups. iOLIGO patients reported both higher median FSH (7.8 vs. 4.3 vs. 4.5 mUI/mL; p=0.001), LH (4.6 vs. 3.4 vs. 3.9 mUI/mL; p=0.001), but lower InhB levels (106.4 vs. 167.1 vs. 153.4 pg/mL; p=0.001) compared to iTERATO and iASTHENO, respectively. Total testosterone and SHBG were similar among groups. Higher median SDF values (37.5 vs. 19.8 vs. 26.4%; p=0.001) and higher rates of pathologic SDF (44.0% vs. 20.5% vs. 34.0%; p=0.04) were more frequently observed in iTERATO than in both other groups. Median C-reactive protein (0.9 vs. 0.3 vs. 0.4 mg/L), NLR (2.1 vs. 1.6 vs. 1.8) and PLR (120.2 vs. 109.5 vs. 115.1) values were higher in patients with iTERATO than iOLIGO and iASTHENO, respectively. At Sperman’s correlation, sperm morphology was inversely associated with SDF (rho –0.25; p=0.001) and NLR (rho –0.14; p=0.02). In the fertile cohort, NLR, PLR and MER were comparable between iTERATO vs. non iTERATO individuals. CONCLUSIONS: One out of ten men seeking medical help for primary couple’s infertility reported semen parameters suggestive for iTERATO. iTERATO is even more prevalent in fertile men. Infertile patients with iTERATO had increased levels of SDF and inflammatory serum markers compared to those with iOLIGO and iASTHENO. Our findings suggest a significant link between sperm morphology and oxidative balance in infertile men. Source of Funding: None © 2020 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 203Issue Supplement 4April 2020Page: e400-e401 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2020 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Luca Boeri* More articles by this author Paolo Capogrosso More articles by this author Walter Cazzaniga More articles by this author Eugenio Ventimiglia More articles by this author Edoardo Pozzi More articles by this author Federico Belladelli More articles by this author Massimo Alfano More articles by this author Pederzoli Filippo More articles by this author Costantino Abbate More articles by this author Vincenzo Mirone More articles by this author Emanuele Montanari More articles by this author Francesco Montorsi More articles by this author Andrea Salonia More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...