Infertile men older than 40 years are at higher risk of sperm DNA damage

Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology

Edmund Sabanegh³  Rakesh Sharma³  Ahmet Ayaz³  Damayanthi Durairajanayagam⁴  Adel M Abuzenadah²  Mourad Assidi²  Ashok Agarwal³  Saad Alshahrani¹ 

[1] Salman Bin Abdulaziz University, College of Medicine, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia;KACST Technology Innovation Center in Personalized Medicine at King AbdulAziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia;Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA;MARA University of Technology, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

关键词: Semen parameters;    Male infertility;    Sperm DNA damage;    Paternal age;   

Others  :  1139753
DOI  :  10.1186/1477-7827-12-103

 received in 2014-09-10, accepted in 2014-11-05,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

The effect of paternal age on semen quality is controversial. In this retrospective study, the aim was to investigate the effects of advancing age on sperm parameters including reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and sperm DNA damage in infertile men. We also examined whether paternal age >40 y is associated with higher risk of sperm DNA damage.

Methods

A total of 472 infertile men presenting for infertility were divided into 4 age groups: group A: patients ≤ 30 y; group B: patients 31- 40 y, group C: ≤ 40 y and group D: patients >40 y. The following tests were performed - semen analysis according to WHO 2010 criteria, seminal ROS by chemiluminescence, TAC by colorimetric assay and sperm DNA damage by TUNEL assay - and the results were compared amongst the 4 age groups.

Results

There was no statistical difference in conventional semen parameters, TAC and ROS with advancing paternal age as well as between different age groups. However, a significant negative association was noted between sperm DNA damage and advancing paternal age. Men >40 y showed higher levels of sperm DNA damage (24.4 ± 18.5%) compared to younger men (<30 y; 16.7 ± 11.2%; p <0.05).

Conclusions

Infertile men over the age of 40 y have a greater percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation compared to infertile men aged 40 y and below. Advanced paternal age (>40 y) may increase the risk of sperm DNA damage in infertile men.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Alshahrani et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

Figure 1.

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