Relevance of Leukocytospermia and Semen Culture and Its True Place in Diagnosing and Treating Male Infertility.

The current WHO 2010 manual for human semen analysis defines leukocytospermia as the presence of peroxidase-positive leukocytes at a concentration >1×10/mL of semen. Granular leukocytes when activated are capable of generating high levels of reactive oxygen species in semen resulting in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been correlated with poor sperm quality, increased level of sperm DNA fragmentation and low fertility potential.

A Comprehensive Guide to Sperm Recovery in Infertile Men with Retrograde Ejaculation.

Retrograde ejaculation (RE) is a condition defined as the backward flow of the semen during ejaculation, and when present can result in male infertility. RE may be partial or complete, resulting in either low seminal volume or complete absence of the ejaculate (dry ejaculate). RE can result from anatomic, neurological or pharmacological conditions.

Endocrine contribution to the sexual dysfunction in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and the role of hyperprolactinemia.

In this study, we investigated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among males with advanced chronic kidney disease and the effect of treating hyperprolactinemia among these patients. In this prospective study, patients were assessed with history, physical examination, hormonal assessment, and two questionnaires, IIEF and AIPE. Patients with hyperprolactinemia received treatment with cabergoline 0.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation: A Critical Assessment of Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) is implicated in male infertility and adverse reproductive outcomes. With the publication of many studies regarding the etiologies and contributors to SDF, as well as the effects of SDF, guidelines are necessary to aid clinicians in the application of SDF for male fertility evaluation. Two recent clinical practice guidelines were published by Agarwal et al and Esteves et al.

Standardized Laboratory Procedures, Quality Control and Quality Assurance Are Key Requirements for Accurate Semen Analysis in the Evaluation of Infertile Male.

Semen analysis is a basic test for evaluating male fertility potential, as it plays an essential role in driving the future management and treatment of infertility in couples. Manual semen analysis includes the evaluation of both macroscopic and microscopic parameters, whereas automated semen analysis is conducted through a computer-aided sperm analysis system and can include additional parameters that are not evaluated by manual analysis. Both quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) are important to ensure reproducible results for semen analysis, and represent fundamental checks and balances of all stages (pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical) of semen analysis.

A Global Survey of Reproductive Specialists to Determine the Clinical Utility of Oxidative Stress Testing and Antioxidant Use in Male Infertility.

Purpose: The use of antioxidants is common practice in the management of infertile patients. However, there are no established guidelines by professional societies on antioxidant use for male infertility.

Materials And Methods: Using an online survey, this study aimed to evaluate the practice pattern of reproductive specialists to determine the clinical utility of oxidative stress (OS) testing and antioxidant prescriptions to treat male infertility.

Effect of microsurgical varicocelectomy on fertility outcome and treatment plans of patients with severe oligozoospermia: An original report and meta-analysis.

Varicocele ligation has been proven to restore semen parameters and improve pregnancy rates in men with clinical disease. However, its effect in men with severe oligozoospermia (SO) is less clearly elucidated. This original report and meta-analysis examined the impact of subinguinal microsurgical varicocelectomy on semen parameters and fertility outcomes of men with SO.

Highly Cited Articles in the Field of Male Infertility and Antioxidants: A Scientometric Analysis.

Purpose: The objective of this scientometric analysis was to recognize the top 100 cited articles on 'Male infertility and Antioxidants' and analyze its publication characteristics.

Materials And Methods: The Scopus database was used to retrieve related articles and the top 100 identified based on citation rate.

Results: The articles were published in 56 journals between 1995 and 2019 with a median (interquartile range) citation score of 17 (5-62).

Validation of LensHooke® X1 PRO and Computer-Assisted Semen Analyzer Compared with Laboratory-Based Manual Semen Analysis.

Purpose: To compare two automated semen quality analysis systems (LensHooke® X1 PRO [X1 PRO]) and IVOS CASA) for accuracy, precision and agreement with laboratory-based manual semen analysis (MSA).

Materials And Methods: Semen samples (n=31) were obtained from normozoospermic healthy male volunteers and infertile men with a minimum abstinence period between 2-3 days. After complete liquefaction, 101 seminal aliquots were prepared and tested according to WHO 5th Edition (2010) guidelines.

Recent advances and controversies in diagnosing and treating male infertility.

Interest in male infertility has increased, as it plays an important role in up to 50% of couples struggling with infertility, which is an estimated 48.5 million couples globally. Despite recent advances, diagnosing and treating male infertility remain a significant clinical challenge owing to complex multifactorial pathways and the diversity of treatment options.

Comparative study of fertility parameters in vitrified human spermatozoa in the presence or absence of EmbryORP : A novel antioxidant.

The cryopreservation of spermatozoa has the main purpose of preserving male fertility. However, current preservation techniques have shown to produce lesions in the structure and alter sperm functions, probably due to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during cryopreservation. To overcome the damage provoked by ROS, we introduced a novel antioxidant called EmbryORP in a vitrification protocol and compared eight fertility parameters: motility, viability, morphology, concentration, the semen pH, the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), the spontaneous acrosomal reaction (AR) and the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), in the presence or absence of EmbryORP .

COVID-19 related masks increase severity of both acne (maskne) and rosacea (mask rosacea): Multi-center, real-life, telemedical, and observational prospective study.

Masks are essential for COVID-19 prevention, but recently they were suggested to modify cutaneous facial microenvironment and trigger facial dermatoses. To evaluate mask-related rosacea and acne (maskne) in untreated patients during lockdown. In this multi-center, real-life, observational prospective study, we enrolled stable, untreated acne and rosacea patients that wore masks during lockdown at least 6 h/day.

An online educational model in andrology for student training in the art of scientific writing in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of the annual Summer Internship at the American Center for Reproductive Medicine (ACRM). To transit it into an online format, an inaugural 6-week 2020 ACRM Online Mentorship Program was developed focusing on five core pillars of andrology research: scientific writing, scientific methodology, plagiarism understanding, soft skills development and mentee basic andrology knowledge. This study aims to determine mentee developmental outcomes based on student surveys and discuss these within the context of the relevant teaching and learning methodology.

Utility of Antioxidants in the Treatment of Male Infertility: Clinical Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review and Analysis of Evidence.

It is widely accepted that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of male infertility and that antioxidants could have a significant role in the treatment of male infertility. The main objectives of this study are: 1) to systematically review the current evidence for the utility of antioxidants in the treatment of male infertility; and 2) propose evidence-based clinical guidelines for the use of antioxidants in the treatment of male infertility. A systematic review of the available clinical evidence was performed, with articles published on Scopus being manually screened.

The impact of autoimmune systemic inflammation and associated medications on male reproductive health in patients with chronic rheumatological, dermatological, and gastroenterological diseases: A systematic review.

Autoimmune disorders currently affect 5%-8% of the global population, characterized by an aberrant chronic inflammatory response to self-antigens. The aim of this study was to systematically review the current available evidence investigating the impact of systemic autoimmune diseases and associated immunosuppressive treatment on fertility parameters of adult men. Clinical trials, observational studies, and case reports written in English and reporting semen analysis, evaluation of seminal oxidative stress, and/or sperm DNA fragmentation in patients affected by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, ankylosing spondylitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, uveitis, dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis were collected by searching on PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases, with no limit of time.

Assessing online price transparency of sperm cryopreservation across the United States.

Although the lack of information on the costs and pricing of healthcare services prevails throughout the medical industry, empiric observations have demonstrated that pricing information is even more obscured in the sperm cryopreservation market. Thus, the objectives of our study are to assess and compare online price transparency and the price of sperm cryopreservation across various healthcare settings in the United States. This study examined online pricing published by facilities that have an active registration to store spermatozoa with the Food and Drug Administration.

The effect of Nigella sativa oil and metformin on male seminal parameters and testosterone in Wistar rats exposed to an obesogenic diet.

Obesity is a significant global health and socio-economic challenge, and considered an important risk factor for poor health outcomes including male reproductive dysfunction and infertility. As excess adiposity causes testicular dysfunction and infertility, novel therapeutic strategies require investigation. Nigella sativa (Ns) seed oil and metformin have both demonstrated a potential positive effect on obesity, although both remain poorly investigated in male fertility.

Association of XRCC1 and ERCC2 promoters' methylation with chromatin condensation and sperm DNA fragmentation in idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men.

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the promoter methylation of XRCC1 and ERCC2 genes is associated with sperm DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation in idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men. This study involved 77 infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and 51 normozoospermic controls. The methylight method, TUNEL assay and aniline blue staining were used for the evaluation of XRCC1 and ERCC2 genes' methylation, SDF and sperm chromatin condensation, respectively.

Male infertility.

It is estimated that infertility affects 8-12% of couples globally, with a male factor being a primary or contributing cause in approximately 50% of couples. Causes of male subfertility vary highly, but can be related to congenital, acquired, or idiopathic factors that impair spermatogenesis. Many health conditions can affect male fertility, which underscores the need for a thorough evaluation of patients to identify treatable or reversible lifestyle factors or medical conditions.