Azoospermia is characterized by the absence of sperm in the ejaculate and is categorized into obstructive azoospermia (OA) and nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). For men with NOA, testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is the only method to obtain sperm for assisted reproductive technology (ART). Given the rarity of these sperm and the unpredictable success of subsequent retrieval attempts, cryopreservation of microdissection-TESE-obtained sperm is essential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of this case-control study is to investigate possible associations between polymorphism and redox potential with sperm parameters.
Methods: The study group consisted of sperm samples from 51 infertile men according to the WHO guidelines. The control group included 39 samples from men with normal seminal parameters.
Antisperm antibodies (ASA), as a cause of male infertility, have been detected in infertile males as early as 1954. Multiple causes of ASA production have been identified, and they are due to an abnormal exposure of mature germ cells to the immune system. ASA testing (with mixed anti-globulin reaction, and immunobead binding test) was described in the WHO manual 5th edition and is most recently listed among the extended semen tests in the WHO manual 6th edition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMale infertility, a relatively common and multifactorial medical condition, affects approximately 15% of couples globally. Based on WHO estimates, a staggering 190 million people struggle with this health condition, and male factor is the sole or contributing factor in roughly 20-50% of these cases. Nowadays, urologists are confronted with a wide spectrum of conditions ranging from the typical infertile male to more complex cases of either unexplained or idiopathic male infertility, requiring a specific patient-tailored diagnostic approach and management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol
May 2015
Objectives: Our study aimed to investigate the possible correlations between conventional seminal parameters and DNA fragmentation in specific groups of Greek men, selected in relation to their fertility history and to verify the validity of the recent WHO reference values for the basic semen analysis in this population.
Study Design: A total of 770 subject data were evaluated in three distinct groups: fertile men with children naturally conceived within one year of unprotected intercourse (n=78), subfertile men, having achieved pregnancies either naturally or by Assisted Reproduction Techniques, not resulting in live births (n=153) and infertile men, failing to produce either pregnancies or children (n=539). Semen volume, sperm concentration, total count, rapid and total progressive motility and morphology were evaluated following the World Health Organization (2010) methods.
Background: The initial step in the diagnostic investigation of male infertility has been traditionally based on the conventional seminal profile. However, there are significant limitations regarding its ability to determine the underlying mechanisms that cause the disorder. Sperm DNA fragmentation has emerged as a potential causative factor of reproductive failure and its assessment has been suggested as a useful adjunct to the laboratory methodology of male infertility evaluation, especially before the application of assisted reproduction technology (ART).
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