Skip Navigation



Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on August 5, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/dei231
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/12/3446    most recent
dei231v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sergerie, M.
Right arrow Articles by Bleau, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sergerie, M.
Right arrow Articles by Bleau, G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.
Received December 7, 2004
Revised June 23, 2005
Accepted July 1, 2005

Article

Sperm DNA fragmentation: threshold value in male fertility

M. Sergerie 1, G. Laforest 2, L. Bujan 3, F. Bissonnette 2, and G. Bleau 2*

1 Département d’Obstétrique-Gynécologie, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) - Hôpital Saint-Luc, Montréal, Québec, Canada; CECOS Midi-Pyrénées, Équipe d’accueil 3694 ‘Fertilité Humaine’ - CHU Paule de Viguier, Toulouse, France; Santé environnementale et santé au travail, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
2 Département d’Obstétrique-Gynécologie, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) - Hôpital Saint-Luc, Montréal, Québec, Canada
3 CECOS Midi-Pyrénées, Équipe d’accueil 3694 ‘Fertilité Humaine’ - CHU Paule de Viguier, Toulouse, France

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
G. Bleau, E-mail: gilles.bleau{at}umontreal.ca


  Abstract

BACKGROUND: The extent of sperm DNA fragmentation, which can be measured by the TUNEL assay, is one of the determinants of male fertility. However, the clinical application of this test to in-vivo situations is difficult owing to the absence of a statistically validated threshold value. METHODS: The aim of this study was to compare the results of TUNEL assay applied to semen samples from men of proven fertility (n = 47) and patients from an infertile population (n = 66), in order to establish a discriminating threshold value. RESULTS: Infertile patients had a higher mean level of DNA fragmentation than men of proven fertility (40.9 ± 14.3% versus 13.1 ± 7.3%, respectively; P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.93 for 20% sperm DNA fragmentation. The calculated threshold value for TUNEL assay to distinguish between fertile controls and infertile men was 20%. At this threshold, specificity was 89.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 83.7-95.1] and sensitivity was 96.9% (95% CI 93.8-100). The positive and negative predictive values of the 20% sperm DNA fragmentation threshold were high: 92.8% (95% CI 87.9-97.5) and 95.5% (95% CI 91.6-99.3), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that sperm DNA fragmentation, as measured by TUNEL assay, is a highly valuable indicator of male fertility.

Keywords: DNA integrity/male infertility/spermatozoa/threshold value/TUNEL.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
G. Ji, A. Gu, F. Hu, S. Wang, J. Liang, Y. Xia, C. Lu, L. Song, G. Fu, and X. Wang
Polymorphisms in cell death pathway genes are associated with altered sperm apoptosis and poor semen quality
Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2009; 24(10): 2439 - 2446.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
A. P. M. Sousa, R. S. Tavares, J. F. Velez de la Calle, H. Figueiredo, V. Almeida, T. Almeida-Santos, and J. Ramalho-Santos
Dual use of Diff-Quik-like stains for the simultaneous evaluation of human sperm morphology and chromatin status
Hum. Reprod., January 1, 2009; 24(1): 28 - 36.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 MutagenesisHome page
S. E. M. Lewis and I. M. Agbaje
Using the alkaline comet assay in prognostic tests for male infertility and assisted reproductive technology outcomes
Mutagenesis, May 1, 2008; 23(3): 163 - 170.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
C. O'Flaherty, F. Vaisheva, B.F. Hales, P. Chan, and B. Robaire
Characterization of sperm chromatin quality in testicular cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma patients prior to chemotherapy
Hum. Reprod., May 1, 2008; 23(5): 1044 - 1052.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
L. Ramos, G.W. van der Heijden, A. Derijck, J.H. Berden, J.A.M. Kremer, J. van der Vlag, and P. de Boer
Incomplete nuclear transformation of human spermatozoa in oligo-astheno-teratospermia: characterization by indirect immunofluorescence of chromatin and thiol status
Hum. Reprod., February 1, 2008; 23(2): 259 - 270.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J AndrolHome page
M. Perez-Crespo, P. Moreira, B. Pintado, and A. Gutierrez-Adan
Factors From Damaged Sperm Affect Its DNA Integrity and Its Ability to Promote Embryo Implantation in Mice
J Androl, January 1, 2008; 29(1): 47 - 54.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
I.M. Agbaje, D.A. Rogers, C.M. McVicar, N. McClure, A.B. Atkinson, C. Mallidis, and S.E.M. Lewis
Insulin dependant diabetes mellitus: implications for male reproductive function
Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2007; 22(7): 1871 - 1877.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ReproductionHome page
A Stronati, G C Manicardi, M Cecati, M Bordicchia, L Ferrante, M Spano, G Toft, J P Bonde, B A G Jonsson, A Rignell-Hydbom, et al.
Relationships between sperm DNA fragmentation, sperm apoptotic markers and serum levels of CB-153 and p,p'-DDE in European and Inuit populations.
Reproduction, December 1, 2006; 132(6): 949 - 958.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.