Agarwal A, Said Tamer M
Center for Advanced Research in Human Reproduction, Infertility, and Sexual Function, Glickman Urological Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.
Hum Reprod Update. 2003 Jul-Aug;9(4):331-45. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmg027.
Sperm DNA integrity is essential for the accurate transmission of genetic information. It has a highly compact and complex structure and is capable of decondensation-features that must be present in order for a spermatozoon to be considered fertile. Any form of sperm chromatin abnormalities or DNA damage may result in male infertility. In support of this conclusion, it was reported that in-vivo fecundity decreases progressively when > 30% of the spermatozoa are identified as having DNA damage. Several methods are used to assess sperm chromatin/DNA, which is considered an independent measure of sperm quality that may yield better diagnostic and prognostic approaches than standard sperm parameters (concentration, motility and morphology). The clinical significance of this assessment lies in its association not only with natural conception rates, but also with assisted reproduction success rates. Also, it has a serious impact on the offspring and is highly prognostic in the assessment of fertility in cancer patients. Therefore, screening for sperm DNA damage may provide useful information in cases of male idiopathic infertility and in those men pursuing assisted reproduction. Treatment should include methods for prevention of sperm DNA damage.
精子DNA完整性对于遗传信息的准确传递至关重要。它具有高度紧凑和复杂的结构，并且能够解聚——这些特征是精子被认为具有生育能力所必须具备的。任何形式的精子染色质异常或DNA损伤都可能导致男性不育。为支持这一结论，有报道称，当超过30%的精子被鉴定为存在DNA损伤时，体内生育力会逐渐下降。有几种方法用于评估精子染色质/DNA，它被认为是精子质量的一项独立指标，与标准精子参数（浓度、活力和形态）相比，可能会产生更好的诊断和预后方法。这种评估的临床意义不仅在于它与自然受孕率相关，还与辅助生殖成功率相关。此外，它对后代有严重影响，在评估癌症患者的生育能力方面具有很高的预后价值。因此，筛查精子DNA损伤可能会为男性特发性不育病例以及寻求辅助生殖的男性提供有用信息。治疗应包括预防精子DNA损伤的方法。
