Evaluation of nuclear DNA damage in spermatozoa from infertile men with varicocele.
OBJECTIVE
To examine levels of sperm DNA damage and oxidative stress (OS) in infertile men with varicocele.


METHODS
Prospective controlled study.


METHODS
Male infertility clinic, Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.


METHODS
Thirty-one infertility patients and 16 fertile controls.


METHODS
Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), levels of seminal reactive oxygen species (ROS), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed using the sperm chromatin structure assay, chemiluminescence assay, and enhanced chemiluminescence assay, respectively. ROS-TAC score was calculated as a measure of OS.


METHODS
Median (interquartile range) DFI and ROS-TAC scores.


RESULTS
Sixteen of the 31 patients had left varicocele [grade I (n = 3), grade II (n = 10), and grade III(n = 3)], and the remaining 15 had normal genital examination. Patients with varicoceles had significantly higher percent DFI than controls (25%, range: 20%-35%; vs. 15%, range: 10%-22%). Patients with varicoceles had significantly lower ROS-TAC scores (21, range: 9.5-31) than the infertile patients with normal genital examination (34, range: 28-42) or the controls (40.3, range: 38-44).


CONCLUSIONS
Infertile men with varicoceles showed significantly increased spermatozoal DNA damage that appears to be related to high levels of OS in semen.
Saleh
Ramadan A
RA
Center for Advanced Research in Human Reproduction, Infertility, and Sexual Function, Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA. agarwaa@ccf.org
Agarwal
Ashok
A
Sharma
Rakesh K
RK
Said
Tamer M
TM
Sikka
Suresh C
SC
Thomas
Anthony J
AJ
D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics*; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D014646:Varicocele / Q000235:genetics*