Sperm chromatin damage impairs human fertility. The Danish First Pregnancy Planner Study Team.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between sperm chromatin defects, evaluated by the flow cytometric (FCM) sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), and the probability of a pregnancy in a menstrual cycle (fecundability).


METHODS
Follow-up study.


METHODS
The Section of Toxicology and Biomedical Sciences, ENEA Casaccia, Rome, Italy, and the Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.


METHODS
Two hundred fifteen Danish first pregnancy planners with no previous knowledge of their fertility capability.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Semen samples were collected at enrollment to measure semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, and morphology (by microscopy), as well as chromatin susceptibility to in situ, acid-induced partial denaturation by the FCM SCSA. Time to pregnancy was evaluated during a 2-year follow-up period. Demographic, medical, reproductive, occupational, and lifestyle data were collected by questionnaire. Fecundability was correlated with SCSA-derived parameters.


RESULTS
Fecundability declines as a function of the percentage of sperm with abnormal chromatin and becomes small when aberrant cells are >40%.


CONCLUSIONS
Optimal sperm chromatin packaging seems necessary for full expression of the male fertility potential. The SCSA emerged as a predictor of the probability to conceive in this population-based study.
Spanò
M
M
Section of Toxicology and Biomedical Sciences, ENEA CR Casaccia, Rome, Italy. spanomrc@casaccia.enea.it
Bonde
J P
JP
Hjøllund
H I
HI
Kolstad
H A
HA
Cordelli
E
E
Leter
G
G
D002843:Chromatin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004249:DNA Damage; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry*
D002843:Chromatin