[Interference of age on semen quality].
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the influence of age on the quality of semen in men submitted to spermatic analysis in a human reproduction service, in cases of conjugal infertility.


METHODS
a retrospective study in which the spermiograms of all men in process of investigation for conjugal infertility in a service of assisted reproduction in the Northeast of Brazil were evaluated from September 2002 to December 2004. A number of 531 individuals submitted to 531 spermatic evaluations were included in the study. The following parameters have been analyzed: spermatic volume, concentration, motility and morphology. The men under investigation have been divided in groups, according to the results obtained in each of the variables studied. Seminal volume groups were divided in: hypospermia, normospermia and hyperspermia. Spermatic concentration groups were divided in: azoospermia, oligospermia, normospermia and polyspermia. Motility groups were divided in: normal motility and asthenospermia. Morphology groups were divided in: normal morphology and teratospermia. The t test has been used to compare the average age of patients in groups with normal and in groups with altered parameters. The program XLSTAT (p<0.05) has been used for the statistical analysis.


RESULTS
the individuals studied presented an average of 37+/-7.9 years old, with an average of seminal volume of 3+/-1.4 mL, a spermatic concentration of 61.4+/-66.4 spermatozoids by mL of semen, a progressive motility of 44.7+/-19.4% of the total of spermatozoids and normal morphology of 11.2+/-6.6% of the spermatozoids. Average age among groups were similar, except for that of individuals with hypospermia, which was significantly higher than the one from men with normospermia (39.6+/-10.3 versus 36.5+/-7.3, p=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
age interferes in an inversely proportional way on the ejaculated volume, but does not influence spermatic concentration, motility and morphology.
Cavalcante
Marcelo Borges
MB
Centro de Reprodução Assistida do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. cavalcantemb@secrel.com.br
Rocha
Marcelo de Pontes
Mde P
Dias
Marjorie Luzia Custódio Mota
ML
Dias
Oswaldo José Queiroz
OJ
Souza
Danielle Oliveira de Araújo
DO
Roberto
Iara Gonçalves
IG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012661:Semen; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology*; D055815:Young Adult