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Sperm DNA fragmentation abnormalities in men from couples with a history of recurrent miscarriage
Author(s) -
Leach Mikaela,
Aitken Robert J.,
Sacks Gavin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/ajo.12373
Subject(s) - miscarriage , dna fragmentation , sperm , andrology , fragmentation (computing) , biology , medicine , genetics , pregnancy , ecology , apoptosis , programmed cell death
Background Previous studies have described an association between sperm with DNA damage and a history of recurrent miscarriage ( RM ), although it is not clear whether there is benefit in screening for sperm DNA fragmentation and to what extent DNA fragmentation impacts upon RM . Aims To identify what proportion of couples experiencing RM are affected by DNA fragmentation abnormalities. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, between 2008 and 2013, couples with a history of recurrent miscarriage (≥3 first trimester miscarriages) were investigated comprehensively for known causes (karyotype, uterine, antiphospholipid syndrome, thrombophilia) and also by semen analysis, including DNA fragmentation [sperm chromatin structure analysis ( SCSA )]. Statistical analysis was performed on SPSS software with significance taken as P < 0.05. Results There were 108 couples with a median sperm DNA fragmentation index ( DFI ) of 9.50%. Normal levels were found in 70.5% of men ( DFI < 15%), 23% had high levels ( DFI 15–30%), and 6.5% had very high levels ( DFI > 30%). Couples with otherwise unexplained recurrent miscarriage had significantly higher DFI than those with other causes identified on routine screening ( P = 0.012). Conclusions In couples experiencing RM , 30% (32/108) of men had sperm with high levels of DNA fragmentation ( DFI > 15%). This may be a contributing factor to the clinical syndrome of RM , and future clinical trials of therapies for these couples are warranted.