correlation between sperm parameters and sperm dna fragmentation in fertile and infertile men

Background: it is established that sperm dna integrity is essential in fertilization andnormal embryo and fetal development. routine semen analysis gives an approximateevaluation of the functional competence of spermatozoa, but does not always reflect thequality of sperm dna. therefore, the evaluation of sperm dna integrity, in addition toroutine sperm parameters, could add further information on the quality of spermatozoaand reproductive potential of males.objective: the objective of this study was to determine the levels of sperm dnadamage in fertile and infertile males and its correlation with semen parameters.materials and methods: semen samples were collected from 45 infertile men selectedfrom couples attending the infertility clinic with a history of infertility of ?1 years and75 healthy volunteers of proven fertility (initiated a successful pregnancy) served as thecontrol group. after routine sperm analysis, dna damage was determined using singlecell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay method.results: the mean of dna damage (comet value) in the sperms of infertile males wassignificantly higher than that of fertile males (12.9±7.59 vs. 48.77±24.42, p < 0.001). asignificant negative correlation was observed between dna damage and sperm motilityin fertile group (p < 0.02, r=-0.263). in infertile males, significant negative correlationswere observed between dna damage with sperm motility (p < 0.002, r=-0.45) andmorphology (p < 0.03, r=-0.317). there was no significant correlation between spermconcentration and sperm dna damage in both groups.conclusion: these results indicate that sperm dna damages in infertile males issignificantly higher than fertile males and sperms with abnormal morphology and lowlevels of motility has more abnormal dna damages than motile and normal sperms.