title: Sperm nuclear apoptotic DNA fragmentation in men with testicular cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To verify whether sperm from patients with a seminoma and patients with a non-seminoma present with an increased rate of apoptotic DNA fragmentation, when compared with men without testicular cancer and who had fathered a child in the 2 years preceding the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred to a sperm bank in an academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men with a diagnosed seminoma, men with a diagnosed non-seminoma, both after orchiectomy and before adjuvant therapy, and men with proven paternity in the 2 previous years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rate of nuclear apoptotic sperm DNA fragmentation as assessed by TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling) assay, classified as positive (with DNA fragmentation) or negative (without DNA fragmentation).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 48 men with testicular cancer included in the study, 29 (60.4%) presented a non-seminoma and 19 (39.6%) a seminoma. Patients with non-seminoma presented with lower progressive sperm motility than the control group (57.4% and 66.3%, respectively), but both were still within normal ranges. Sperm concentration was lower in seminoma (31.2 x 10(6)/mL) and in non-seminoma (20.6 x 10(6)/mL) when compared with the control group (78.1 x 10(6)/mL), but values did not differ between the two testicular cancer groups. Sperm morphology was lower in patients with non-seminoma than in the control group (10% and 13.1%, respectively). Results for sperm nuclear apoptotic DNA fragmentation (mean; standard deviation) were 12.6%; 4.5% for the control group, 12.2%; 5.5% for the non-seminoma group, and 12.5%; 6.4% for the seminoma group. No differences were found between the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate that the presence of a seminoma or a non-seminoma is not associated with an increase in sperm apoptotic DNA fragmentation.
authors: Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, Human Reproduction Section, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Taísa Michelucci
authors: TM
authors: Ribeiro
authors: Ricardo Pimenta
authors: RP
authors: Bertolla
authors: Deborah Montagnini
authors: DM
authors: Spaine
authors: Renato
authors: R
authors: Fraietta
authors: Valdemar
authors: V
authors: Ortiz
authors: Agnaldo Pereira
authors: AP
authors: Cedenho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D048430:Cell Shape; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009919:Orchiectomy; D010334:Paternity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018239:Seminoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult