Publications by authors named "Sheryl Homa"
Technical Aspects and Clinical Limitations of Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing in Male Infertility: A Global Survey, Current Guidelines, and Expert Recommendations.
World J Mens Health
January 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates global practices and challenges in using sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) assays, which can affect male reproductive potential, as outlined in the latest WHO manual.
- A survey of 436 reproductive clinicians revealed that the most popular SDF assay is TUNEL, with a significant influence from availability on their choices.
- Clinicians see the value of SDF testing in understanding infertility but face barriers like insufficient professional guidelines and a lack of accepted reference values for interpreting SDF results.
Article Synopsis
- AI has rapidly advanced in medicine, particularly benefiting fields like andrology and reproductive medicine through technologies like machine learning and neural networks.
- AI tools can enhance the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility, improve patient care accuracy, and increase efficiency in clinical management and research.
- Future advancements in AI integration are expected to lead to significant breakthroughs and improvements in evidence-based practices within andrology and reproductive medicine.
Controversy and Consensus on the Management of Elevated Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Male Infertility: A Global Survey, Current Guidelines, and Expert Recommendations.
World J Mens Health
October 2023
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates global practices for managing sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) in infertile men, highlighting its impact on fertility and assisted reproductive technology (ART).
- A survey collecting data from 436 reproductive experts across 55 countries revealed a common recommendation for lifestyle changes and antioxidants, with varying durations for treatment and differing management approaches for specific infertility cases.
- The findings indicate a lack of uniformity in practices, emphasizing the need for standardized guidelines and expert consensus for treating men with elevated SDF.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores global practices for sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) testing in infertile men, following its inclusion in the WHO laboratory manual.
- A survey conducted among 436 infertility clinicians across 55 countries reveals varied testing practices, with many testing SDF in cases of unexplained infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and among smokers.
- The findings highlight the need for clearer professional guidelines on SDF testing, given the diversity in current practices and the potential benefits for certain patient populations.
Article Synopsis
- An imbalance in the genitourinary microbiome is linked to male infertility, with a study showing that 43% of men had identifiable microorganisms.
- Enterococcus faecalis was the most common organism in semen, while Ureaplasma spp. and Gardnerella vaginalis were more frequent in urine.
- While semen parameters remained stable, men with microorganisms experienced higher oxidative stress and significant sperm DNA fragmentation, underscoring the importance of screening for genitourinary infections in infertility assessments.
How Successful Is Surgical Sperm Retrieval in Klinefelter Syndrome?
Front Reprod Health
February 2021
Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) is characterized by the presence of an extra X chromosome. It was first diagnosed in 1942 in a group of azoospermic men. KS is the most common chromosomal abnormality encountered in infertile men and accounts for more than 10% of the causes of azoospermia.
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- Oxidative stress (OS) plays a significant role in male infertility, but traditional semen analysis can’t directly detect reactive oxygen species (ROS).
- The MiOX analyser was tested for measuring static oxidation-reduction potential (sORP), showing good reproducibility across various conditions and operators, although it requires careful handling to ensure consistency.
- MiOX proved to be a more stable method for assessing OS compared to chemiluminescence, suggesting it could enhance routine diagnostics for male infertility and help identify unknown causes.
Despite advances in the field of male reproductive health, idiopathic male infertility, in which a man has altered semen characteristics without an identifiable cause and there is no female factor infertility, remains a challenging condition to diagnose and manage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) plays an independent role in the etiology of male infertility, with 30% to 80% of infertile men having elevated seminal reactive oxygen species levels. OS can negatively affect fertility a number of pathways, including interference with capacitation and possible damage to sperm membrane and DNA, which may impair the sperm's potential to fertilize an egg and develop into a healthy embryo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), oxidative stress (OS) is a significant contributor to male infertility. Seminal OS can be measured by a number of assays, all of which are either costly or time sensitive and/or require large semen volume and complex instrumentation. One less expensive alternative is to quantify the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) with the MiOXSYS.
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- Male infertility is a significant global health issue, particularly in the UK, where treatment approaches for male factor fertility are inconsistent and often inadequately funded.
- There is concern about the overreliance on IVF for couples without addressing male fertility issues, and while there are ongoing debates about varicocele treatment, emerging evidence suggests it could benefit fertility outcomes.
- Varicocele treatment might improve sperm quality and reduce the need for advanced reproductive technologies (ART), indicating that guidelines should be updated to emphasize its potential benefits.
Oxidative stress (OS) is a significant cause of DNA fragmentation and is associated with poor embryo development and recurrent miscarriage. The aim of this study was to compare two different methods for assessing seminal OS and their ability to predict sperm DNA fragmentation and abnormal semen parameters. Semen samples were collected from 520 men attending for routine diagnostic testing following informed consent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraditionally, the success of a researcher is assessed by the number of publications he or she publishes in peer-reviewed, indexed, high impact journals. This essential yardstick, often referred to as the impact of a specific researcher, is assessed through the use of various metrics. While researchers may be acquainted with such matrices, many do not know how to use them to enhance their careers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: High levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a leading cause of male factor infertility. Measurement of ROS has been hampered by a lack of standardisation and confounding variables including choice of controls and sample selection. This study aimed to determine a reference range for ROS in human semen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To standardize and validate an assay for reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human semen.
Design: ROS levels assayed in blanks, negative and positive control samples (30% H2O2), and human semen, with the use of a luminol-based chemiluminescence assay measured in a single tube luminometer.
Setting: Andrology laboratory.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the biochemical activities of Chinese herbs used for treating male infertility, focusing on their effects on spermatogenesis and oxidative stress, which are significant factors in male infertility.
- A total of 37 individual herbs and 7 herb decoctions were tested for endocrine activity and antioxidant properties, revealing various levels of anti-oestrogenic and antioxidant activity among the herbs.
- The findings indicate that while individual herbs exhibited notable anti-oestrogenic effects and varying antioxidant strengths, the decoctions used clinically showed different activity profiles, primarily strong anti-oestrogenic responses without any androgenic or oestrogenic effects.
Objective: To present the first UK data on sperm DNA fragmentation levels in subfertile men and fertile controls, the correlation with semen variables, and to assess the effect on the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Patients, Subjects And Methods: In all, 56 subfertile men undergoing ICSI (28 with positive and 28 with a negative outcome for paternity) and 10 control fertile semen donors were recruited. The sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was assessed on raw pre-preparation samples using the sperm chromatin structure assay.
Aim: To test the hypothesis that levels of sperm disomy fell significantly in six men treated by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Methods: Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was done on the sperm heads of six men before and during treatment by TCM.
Results: There was a significant reduction in sperm disomy in all six men.
Background: The association between infertility and sperm disomy is well documented. Results vary but most report that men with severely compromised semen parameters have a significantly elevated proportion of disomic sperm. The relationship between individual semen parameters and segregation of specific chromosome pairs is however less well reported as is the variation of disomy levels in individual men.
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