Volume 28, Issue 2 (Iran South Med J 2025)
Iran South Med J 2025, 28(2): 590-598 |
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Kamalinia R, Eslami Moayed M, Talebi S S, Talebi A. Association between DNA Fragmentation Index and Sperm Morphological Abnormali-ties among Patients at Shokoufeh Infertility Treatment Center, 2023–2025. Iran South Med J 2025; 28 (2) :590-598
URL: http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/article-1-2270-en.html
URL: http://ismj.bpums.ac.ir/article-1-2270-en.html
1- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
2- Sexual Health and Fertility Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
3- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
4- Sexual Health and Fertility Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran ,alitalebi.ir@gmail.com
2- Sexual Health and Fertility Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
3- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
4- Sexual Health and Fertility Research Center, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran ,
Abstract: (160 Views)
Background: Sperm morphological abnormalities and aberrant chromatin maturation are considered important indicators of male fertility. Assessing sperm structural anomalies and DNA damage plays a critical role in evaluating male reproductive potential. This study aimed to investigate the association between sperm morphological abnormalities and DNA integrity in human sperm.
Materials and Methods: Medical records of patients presenting to the Shokoufeh Infertility Treatment Center at Bahar Hospital, Shahroud, who had undergone semen analysis and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) testing, were reviewed. The correlations between DFI values, normal morphology rates, and the percentage of sperm abnormalities were analyzed using correlation tests in SPSS software.
Results: A total of 402 semen analysis reports were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 37.2±4.2 years. Our results showed a significant association between DFI status (normal/abnormal) and sperm morphology status (normal/abnormal) (p=0.012). Significant correlations were also observed between DFI and head abnormalities (p<0.001), DFI and neck abnormalities (p<0.001), and DFI and tail abnormalities (p<0.001). However, no significant association was found between DFI values and cytoplasmic residues in sperm (p=0.533).
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated a significant association between sperm morphological abnormalities and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI). In particular, in samples with teratozoospermia, DFI values exceeded the 15% threshold, indicating a close association between abnormalities in the head, neck, and tail of sperm and reduced DNA integrity. Based on these results, simultaneous evaluation of sperm morphology and DFI may contribute to identifying the causes of male infertility and in selecting appropriate strategies for assisted reproductive treatments.
Materials and Methods: Medical records of patients presenting to the Shokoufeh Infertility Treatment Center at Bahar Hospital, Shahroud, who had undergone semen analysis and DNA fragmentation index (DFI) testing, were reviewed. The correlations between DFI values, normal morphology rates, and the percentage of sperm abnormalities were analyzed using correlation tests in SPSS software.
Results: A total of 402 semen analysis reports were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 37.2±4.2 years. Our results showed a significant association between DFI status (normal/abnormal) and sperm morphology status (normal/abnormal) (p=0.012). Significant correlations were also observed between DFI and head abnormalities (p<0.001), DFI and neck abnormalities (p<0.001), and DFI and tail abnormalities (p<0.001). However, no significant association was found between DFI values and cytoplasmic residues in sperm (p=0.533).
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrated a significant association between sperm morphological abnormalities and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI). In particular, in samples with teratozoospermia, DFI values exceeded the 15% threshold, indicating a close association between abnormalities in the head, neck, and tail of sperm and reduced DNA integrity. Based on these results, simultaneous evaluation of sperm morphology and DFI may contribute to identifying the causes of male infertility and in selecting appropriate strategies for assisted reproductive treatments.
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Urogenital System
Received: 2025/08/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/28 | Published: 2025/11/22
Received: 2025/08/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/28 | Published: 2025/11/22
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