Human semen quality and sperm DNA damage assessed by comet assay in clinical groups

Abstract

Background/aim: About 10%-15% of couples around the world suffer from infertility. Male infertility is responsible directly or indirectly in approximately 60% of cases. A deficiency in semen is the most common cause of male infertility.

Materials and methods: The study included 180 male subjects aged 18-50 years with 26 fertile and 154 infertile. The infertile subjects were further subdivided according to the WHO guidelines of semen analysis (2010) into different clinical groups. Sperm DNA damage was estimated using a neutral comet assay. Plasma gonadotropin and testosterone levels were measured using a chemiluminescence assay.

Results: The results of the study revealed no significant differences, in semen volume, pH, and liquefaction time between the fertile and all infertile groups. However, sperm concentration, sperm vitality, and sperm motility were significantly lower in all infertile groups as compared to the fertile males. The morphological forms of the sperm and its DNA fragmentation varied significantly between the fertile and infertile males. Reproductive hormone levels were observed to be significantly lower in the infertile than in the fertile males.

Conclusion: Sperm DNA fragmentation was higher in all of the infertile subjects as compared to the fertile ones. Reproductive hormone levels varied significantly between the infertile patients and the fertile ones.