title: FSH treatment in infertile males candidate to assisted reproduction improved sperm DNA fragmentation and pregnancy rate.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether follicle-stimulating hormone treatment improves sperm DNA parameters and pregnancy outcome in infertile male candidates to in-vitro fertilization.Observational study in 166 infertile male partners of couples undergoing in-vitro fertilization. Eighty-four patients were receiving follicle-stimulating hormone treatment (cases) and 82 refused treatment (controls). Semen parameters, sexual hormones, and sperm nucleus (fluorescence in-situ hybridization, acridine orange, TUNEL, and γH2AX) were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1), when all subjects underwent assisted reproduction techniques. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance.Compared to baseline, cases showed significant improvements in seminal parameters and DNA fragmentation indexes after follicle-stimulating hormone therapy (all P < 0.05), whereas no changes were observed in controls. Within cases, follicle-stimulating hormone treatment allowed to perform intrauterine insemination in 35 patients with a pregnancy rate of 23.2 %. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed in all controls and in 49 patients from cases, with pregnancy rates of 23.2 and 40.8 %, respectively (P < 0.05). After 3 months (T0 vs. T1) of follicle-stimulating hormone therapy, cases with positive outcome had reduced DNA fragmentation index and lower double strand breaks (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 vs. negative outcome, respectively).In this observational study, we showed that follicle-stimulating hormone treatment improves sperm DNA fragmentation, which in turn leads to increased pregnancy rates in infertile males undergoing in-vitro fertilization. In particular, double strand breaks (measured with γH2AX test) emerged as the most sensible parameter to follicle-stimulating hormone treatment in predicting reproductive outcome.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy. andrea.garolla@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4736-9051
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garolla
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghezzi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cosci
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sartini
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bottacin
authors.affiliation: Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Alto Adige, via Ospedale 11, Brunico, 39031, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engl
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Nisio
authors.affiliation: Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone
keywords: FSH treatment; IVF/ICSI outcome; Male Infertility; Sperm DNA damage