Sperm DNA Fragmentation-Things To Keep In Mind

by Indira IVF Indira IVF Center For IVF, IUI, ICSI Treatment

Introduction

Not only women, but there are also different cases around the world where a couple find difficulties to have a baby of their own due to problems in men. It can be due to abnormalities in their sperm. It has been said that near about 10-15% of men get affected with infertility in their prime reproductive age. But as we have seen various implementations in the technology, SDF or sperm DNA fragmentation has been invented for highlighting the level of molecular damage found in the sperm.

All men have an equal amount of damage to their sperm DNA, but if there is a presence of higher damage, it may bring problems in achieving pregnancy through IVF or IUI. Sperm DNA fragmentation allows calculating the percentage in which the sperm is broken in the DNA. Sperm contains a very small size; therefore it needs an enormous amount of genetic information from the egg. There has been researched to have a look about how the amount of damage observed in the sperm can be implemented as a marker for infertility in men. Sperm DNA is helpful in examining the number of breaks and nicks which are present in the sperm DNA.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Cost

According to some source, the test of sperm DNA fragmentation will cost around 7,000 Rupees and it can stretch to 10,000 Rupees according to the location and charges of the labs. There is a need to research well on the internet and look for those institutions that are providing the sperm DNA fragmentation test with high accuracy and priority.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Causes

The exact causes regarding sperm DNA fragmentation have been proved to be unknown. A vital inspection has been found that the quantity of sperm damage monitored doesn't correlate always with the parameters of semen. It can provide a sense that even if a man has a normal morphology, motility and sperm count, he can also have a large amount of sperm DNA damage. Eggs contain some potential in mending the damaged sperm upon fertilization, as said by some research.

We'll try to explain some of the causes that contribute to sperm DNA fragmentation like environmental and occupational pollutants, infection, chronological age, smoking, alcohol, varicocele, diet, oxidative stress, recreational drugs, stress, elevated testicular temperature, pyrexia, etc. Inflammatory cells are able to build up reactive oxygen which is known to cause damage as well as base modifications in DNA.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Treatment

More chances of low pregnancy success rates and high miscarriages are predicted when a man faces high sperm DNA fragmentation even if he is advancing towards treatment options like in-vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

There are some lifestyle modifications due to which the chances of improving the quality of sperm can be found. If someone contains a habit of smoking cigarettes, it can prove very costly to them as intake of such things is able to create a bad effect on the sperm. Not only smoking, but sexually transmitted infections, radiation and heat, airborne pollution and biological factors like increase in their age, elevated body mass index, and diabetes are also those things that assist in affecting the integrity of sperm DNA.

Those who smoke or drink, it will be a better option to quit these bad habits and indulge in some good practices like regular exercise, managing body weight, wearing loose underwear and providing some air to the lower part along with avoiding lower body bathing.

Those who are having problems in fertility, they need to take vitamins C and E, selenium and zinc as they will prove to be effective and are also able in reducing DNA fragmentation. A condition known as varicocele takes place due to abnormal dilations of the pampiniform plexus and makes its presence in almost 15% of men. It is also regarded as one of the common causes to bring infertility in men. But the good thing is that it can be repaired with some surgical procedures.

Oxidative stress is able to cause damage to sperm DNA. It has been said that those who took antioxidants before going to treatments like intracytoplasmic sperm injection didn't contain any difference in fertility rate, cleavage, or embryo morphology, but they have higher clinical implantation and pregnancy rates. However, it is stated that the optimistic effects of antioxidants on sperm DNA fragmentation sourced by reactive oxygen types are limited which point towards damage in sperm DNA keeps on high in many patients even after getting the treatment.