Sperm DNA Damage
Traditional sperm tests for sperm concentration, motility analysis and morphological evaluation (ie, semen analysis) are unfortunately not sufficient to evaluate sperm at the molecular level. In IVF treatment, the egg is fertilized with sperm that appear normal in sperm analysis, fertilization is performed, and the embryos obtained are placed in the uterus of the expectant mother after they are selected according to their development quality. However, if there is any DNA damage in the sperm, an embryo with an unbalanced genetic structure may occur. As a result, it may lead to the termination of pregnancy or miscarriage before it can be detected. For this reason, DNA Damage Test in sperm has been put into practice, which is a breakthrough in in vitro fertilization technology.
In recurrent IVF failures, Sperm FISH and DNA Fragmentation test are applied to evaluate the DNA structure of the sperm, which is different from the routine sperm test; Sperm obtained by ejaculation are stained with a fluorescent probe that interacts with the DNA molecule, and as a result of the analysis, damaged sperm are tested. In the light of the information obtained, diagnosis and treatment are planned. According to accepted standards, the rate of damaged sperm is expected to be below 15% in numerical analysis. If the damage is over 50%, it is considered severely damaged.
• Couples with slow embryo development,
• Patients with abnormal embryo development,
• In recurrent IVF/ICSI failures
• Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
• Patients with severe sperm deformity
• Lifestyle changes
• Diet – fresh foods, especially foods containing antioxidants or vitamin C.
• Varicocele treatment.
• Medicines containing Vitamin E, which reduces reactive Oxygen Species that cause DNA damage.
• Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) (As DNA damage occurs at the post-testicular level, testicular sperm may have better DNA integrity than ejaculated sperm.)
Treatments for reducing sperm DNA damage can be evaluated with the second sperm test performed after 3-4 months.
In recurrent IVF failures, Sperm FISH and DNA Fragmentation test are applied to evaluate the DNA structure of the sperm, which is different from the routine sperm test; Sperm obtained by ejaculation are stained with a fluorescent probe that interacts with the DNA molecule, and as a result of the analysis, damaged sperm are tested. In the light of the information obtained, diagnosis and treatment are planned. According to accepted standards, the rate of damaged sperm is expected to be below 15% in numerical analysis. If the damage is over 50%, it is considered severely damaged.
To whom should we recommend this test:
• Unexplained infertility cases,• Couples with slow embryo development,
• Patients with abnormal embryo development,
• In recurrent IVF/ICSI failures
• Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
• Patients with severe sperm deformity
Causes of Sperm DNA Damage:
In men, the most important factor of sperm DNA damage is oxidative stress. This stress is mostly caused by infection, the use of some drugs, smoking, alcohol, excessive caffeine consumption, intense stress, environmental and occupational pollutants.Treatment of Sperm DNA Damage:
If some causes of DNA damage are incurable but are caused by free radicals, lifestyle and dietary change designed to protect against oxidative stress can help reduce levels of DNA damage.Other treatment options:
• Use of antibiotics in the presence of an infection.• Lifestyle changes
• Diet – fresh foods, especially foods containing antioxidants or vitamin C.
• Varicocele treatment.
• Medicines containing Vitamin E, which reduces reactive Oxygen Species that cause DNA damage.
• Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) (As DNA damage occurs at the post-testicular level, testicular sperm may have better DNA integrity than ejaculated sperm.)
Treatments for reducing sperm DNA damage can be evaluated with the second sperm test performed after 3-4 months.
