title: Computer-assisted sperm analysis parameters in young fertile sperm donors and relationship with age.
abstract: Sperm parameter values have been shown to decline with age, according to conventional sperm analysis. However, the effect of age on sperm kinematic parameters has been rarely studied, especially in young fertile men. Here, we studied Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA) parameters in a large cohort of men with proven fertility, in order to determine if there is a decline with age in this young fertile population. This retrospective analysis of CASA parameters was conducted on all donors included in the sperm donor programme in the Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) Centre of the University Hospital of Nantes between 2006 and 2009. Sperm concentration, motility, and kinetic parameters were recorded by a HTM-Ceros system and compared in 3 groups of sperm donors according to their age: <35 years, 36-40 years, and 41-44 years. A total of 362 ejaculates from 138 donors were analyzed. Values for ALH, VCL, LIN, and STR significantly decreased with age. Sperm concentration, motile sperm proportion, and other kinetic parameters did not differ significantly among the groups. The use of CASA allowed the identification of ALH, VCL, LIN, and STR age-related decrease in young men with proven fertility.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine et biologie de la reproduction, CECOS Hôpital Mère et Enfant Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fréour
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jean
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mirallie
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barriere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D014019:Tissue Donors