title: [High ligation of varicocele improves sperm DNA integrity in patients with asthenospermia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess how high ligation of varicocele improves sperm DNA integrity in patients with asthenospermia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and semen analysis were conducted in 30 subjects with normal sperm samples, and the parameters were used as references. Fifty-six patients from the Department of Urology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from April 2009 to April 2011 all signed the informed consent. Semen was collected 1 week before the high ligation of varicocele and 3 months after the surgery. We compared the change of the integrity of sperm DNA and semen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three months after the high ligation of varicocele, DFI and semen indexes significantly improved (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between open surgery and laparoscopic surgery, unilateral varicocele and bilateral varicocele and Grade I, Grade II, Grade III varicocele (P>0.05). Six months later, 27 spouses were pregnant out of the 53 surgical patients (50.9%). DFI of the pregnancy group and the non-pregnancy group was (13.90±9.70)% and (20.10±10.27)%, with significant different (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Varicocelectomy can improve the sperm DNA integrity in patients with asthenospermia, whose effect is not related to surgical approach, unilateral or bilateral varicocele or varicocele grade.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yingjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Weili
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dawen
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004249:DNA Damage; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012661:Semen; D013085:Spermatic Cord / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*; D013521:Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult