title: Clinical factors associated with sperm DNA fragmentation in male patients with infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The clinical factors associated with sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) were investigated in male patients with infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four ejaculates from infertile Japanese males were used. Thirty-three and twenty-one were from the patients with varicoceles and idiopathic causes of infertility, respectively. We performed blood tests, including the serum sex hormone levels, and conventional and computer-assisted semen analyses. The sperm nuclear vacuolization (SNV) was evaluated using a high-magnification microscope. The SDF was evaluated using the sperm chromatin dispersion test (SCDt) to determine the SDF index (SDFI). The SDFI was compared with semen parameters and other clinical variables, including lifestyle factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SDFI was 41.3 ± 22.2% (mean ± standard deviation) and did not depend on the cause of infertility. Chronic alcohol use increased the SDFI to 49.6 ± 23.3% compared with 33.9 ± 18.0% in nondrinkers. The SDFI was related to adverse conventional semen parameters and sperm motion characteristics and correlated with the serum FSH level. The SNV showed a tendency to increase with the SDFI. The multivariate analysis revealed that the sperm progressive motility and chronic alcohol use were significant predictors of the SDF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SCDt should be offered to chronic alcohol users and those with decreased sperm progressive motility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawauchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences for Research, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama-shi, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fuse
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones