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. 2021 Jun 7;16(6):e0251608.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251608. eCollection 2021.

Correlation among isolated teratozoospermia, sperm DNA fragmentation and markers of systemic inflammation in primary infertile men

Luigi Candela  1   2 , Luca Boeri  1   3 , Paolo Capogrosso  1   4 , Walter Cazzaniga  1   2 , Edoardo Pozzi  1   2 , Federico Belladelli  1   2 , Andrea Baudo  1   2 , Andrea Ravizzoli  1   2 , Eugenio Ventimiglia  1 , Paola Viganò  5   6 , Massimo Alfano  1 , Costantino Abbate  1 , Julian Cornelius  7 , Agostino Mattei  7 , Francesco Montorsi  1   2 , Andrea Salonia  1   2
Affiliations

Correlation among isolated teratozoospermia, sperm DNA fragmentation and markers of systemic inflammation in primary infertile men

Luigi Candela et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Aim: To assess the prevalence of isolated teratozoospermia (iTZS) in a cohort of infertile and fertile men; explore the relationship between iTZS, inflammatory parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation index (SDF) in the same cohort.

Materials and methods: 1824 infertile men and 103 fertile controls. Semen analysis, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and serum hormones were investigated. DFI was tested in infertile men only. According to 2010 WHO semen analysis, patients were categorized in 3 sub-groups of isolated sperm defects: isolated oligozoospermia (iOZS), isolated asthenozoospermia (iAZS) and iTZS. Descriptive statistics and linear regression models tested the association between clinical variables and inflammatory markers.

Results: Among infertile men, iAZS, iTZS, and iOZS were found in 13.9%, 11.9% and 4.1% participants, respectively. iTZS was found in 37 (35.9%) fertile men. Infertile men with iTZS had higher NLR values than those with iOZS, iAZS and men with normal semen parameters (all p<0.001). FSH and LH were higher and inhibin B lower in iOZS infertile men compared to all other groups (p≤0.001). Hormonal characteristics were similar between iTZS infertile and fertile men. Similarly, iTZS infertile men had higher SDF than all other groups (all p<0.001). Infertile men with iTZS had higher NLR values than fertile men with iTZS (p<0.01). Linear regression analysis showed that, in infertile men, iTZS was associated with SDF and NLR (all p≤0.01).

Conclusions: iTZS was found in 11.9% of infertile men but it was even more prevalent in fertile controls. Infertile men with iTZS had higher NLR than fertile controls and increased SDF values than infertile participant with iAZS, iOZS, or normal semen parameters. No differences in hormonal characteristics were found between infertile and fertile men with iTZS.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Estimated sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) (A) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (B) according to the number of sperm alterations in infertile men. Dashed lines represent 95% CI.
Fig 2
Fig 2
Correlation between sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and FSH values (A) and normal sperm morphology (B) in infertile men. Rho and p-value according to Spearman’s correlation.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Correlation between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and normal sperm morphology in infertile men.
Rho and p-value according to Spearman’s correlation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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