The relationship between DNA fragmentation and the intensity of morphologically abnormal human spermatozoa
Objective: To determine the relationship between teratozoospermia and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in the human ejaculate. Methods: This retrospective study included 100 normozoospermic men as a control cohort (abnormal forms >14%), 210 patients with a high level of abnormal forms (≤4%) and 65 p...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Asian Pacific Journal of Reproduction |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/apjr.apjr_42_23 |
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| Summary: | Objective:
To determine the relationship between teratozoospermia and sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in the human ejaculate.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 100 normozoospermic men as a control cohort (abnormal forms >14%), 210 patients with a high level of abnormal forms (≤4%) and 65 patients presenting with a moderate level of abnormal forms (>4% to ≤14%) based on the World Health Organization definitions. Sperm morphology was assessed using bright field microscopy. Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed using the sperm chromatin dispersion assay. Non-parametric analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between abnormal sperm morphology and sperm DNA fragmentation; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to assess sensitivity and specificity of this relationship.
Results:
A correlation analysis revealed that the higher the proportion of abnormal spermatozoa in the ejaculate, the higher the level of SDF (Spearman's Rho = -0.230; P<0.001). Significant differences in the proportion of SDF were found when all cohorts were compared (P<0.001); these significant differences were also retained when the different cohorts were compared pairwise. ROC analysis showed a moderate but significant predictive value for SDF to differentiate patients with different levels of teratozoospemia.
Conclusions:
Although analysis of a more continuous range of values for teratozoospermia would help further clarify any causal relationship with SDF, there is clearly a synergistic or coincident affiliation between these variables that needs to be acknowledged by the clinician when interpreting the spermiogram. |
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| ISSN: | 2305-0500 2305-0519 |