Test for High Sperm Damage - a leading cause of unexplained infertility

New research from Queen's University Belfast has uncovered the cause of infertility for 80 per cent of couples previously diagnosed with 'unexplained infertility'. In a study of 239 couples with that diagnosis, researchers found that in 80% of cases, the men had high sperm DNA damage. They can now be fast tracked to the appropriate treatment for that specific problem. Every year, about 50,000 couples in the UK require fertility treatment. These findings will save them time, money and heartache, Queen's scientists said. Professor Sheena Lewis from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen's, said this was "a huge finding". She said it was a breakthrough rather than a cure, but that it offered "a way to fertility". "For almost one third of couples, until now, there has been no obvious cause for infertility and these couples are given the diagnosis of 'unexplained infertility'," she said. "These couples often invest a lot of time and money in fertility treatments like intra-uterine insemination which are unlikely to be successful. "In our study, we have now had a breakthrough which explains the cause of infertility for many of those couples. "Now that we have found the cause of infertility for these couples, suitable treatments can be tailored for them which will direct them straight to the best treatment and increase their chances of having a baby." Professor Lewis said a million couples across the world were being investigated for infertility every year. Professor Sheena Lewis said this was a "huge finding" "This will save them time, it will save them money and it will save them the heartache of failed fertility treatments," she said. "Nothing is a guarantee but it will give them a better chance." The study also has a second major finding. It is the first study to show that the chances of having a baby after IVF is closely related to the amount of DNA damage a man has in each of his sperm. The university is also working through Lewis Fertility Testing to make the test available to anyone who needs it. The test is also being trialled in China. Professor Lewis said the breakthrough was a result of local talent and was having a global impact. However, Professor Christopher Barratt, professor of reproductive Medicine at the University of Dundee said that most clinics would not test for high sperm damage because of uncertainty over what to do with the results. He also pointed out that although high sperm damage was found in the majority of couples, it may not be the only cause of their fertility problems. "Whether this type of testing predicts which treatment you should is not yet clear. "The question is whether this type of testing is going to help and that is where the evidence needs to be stronger." Article: 14th November 2012 www.bbc.co.uk

Men are you killing your sperm? Quality and quantity matter in male fertility

Most men don’t give much thought to their prenatal care, but, according to male-fertility experts, what guys do now could make the difference between becoming a dad or not.
Unlike women -- who have all the eggs they will ever have when they’re born -- men produce sperm all day long. Sperm takes about two to three months to fully mature, so a guy’s behaviour during the past 90 days will affect the baby he makes today, or whether he can make one at all, said Dr. Sijo Parekattil, director of urology at Winter Haven Hospital, where he specializes in male infertility.

Although society tends to focus on women when couples can’t conceive, about half the time it’s the guy’s fault, said Parekattil, who will be among several infertility and adoption experts speaking Saturday at a free conference in Lake Mary, Fla.

Among the more common sperm-killing behaviours guys engage in are keeping cellphones in pants pockets, and working with laptops on their laps, which raises sperm temperature.

Other behaviours not conducive to fatherhood are smoking; excessive drinking; frequenting saunas and hot tubs; wearing tight underwear; using recreational drugs, including marijuana; taking male supplements; and getting sick. Studies show that such behaviours can reduce sperm quality and quantity.

Ashok Agarwal, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, has conducted several studies on the effects of cellphone radiation on sperm. In one lab study, he found that the viability of sperm exposed to cellphone radiation for one hour dropped by 11 per cent compared with control samples.

His research also found that sperm count, motility and viability dropped more as cellphone exposure went up.

"Cellphones emit radiation, which can potentially harm the sperm in men who carry their phones in their pockets or on their belts," Agarwal said. "We believe these harmful effects are due to the proximity of the phones to the groin area."

A bout with the flu can lower sperm count, too, which is why experts recommend that men trying to have children get flu shots. Chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, also take their toll. Obesity can foster low sperm counts because excess fat causes men to produce more female hormones, Parekattil said.

When men take male supplements, including anabolic steroids, their bodies think they’re making too much testosterone and shut down the testicles, which actually atrophy, Parekattil said. Once guys stop taking supplements, sperm production can take a year to resume.

"A man’s lifestyle can impact the DNA organization inside the sperm and the surface properties of the sperm, which are critical for penetrating the egg, fertilizing it and helping the embryo get to full term," said Dr. Michael Witt, a urologist and male-fertility specialist who divides his time between Winter Park, Fla., and Atlanta.

Avoiding these sperm-unfriendly behaviours and conditions are sometimes all men need to do to give their sperm a boost, Witt said.

Besides having a better understanding of how lifestyle and anatomical stresses can affect sperm, men trying to become dads also benefit from another advance in male infertility: in-home sperm-test kits.

Although the home tests aren’t as sensitive as those in the urologist’s office, they’re a lot more convenient and less embarrassing than giving a sample at the doctor’s office.

A normal sperm count is about 40 million motile sperm per ejaculation, according to the World Health Organization. Most men produce that well into their 70s. However, of those men who have problems with infertility, about 10 per cent to 15 per cent make no sperm, and an additional 30 per cent have low sperm.

Among all men, about one in seven has a varicocele, in which excess blood vessels impair the count and quality of sperm, Witt said. Surgery to remove the veins often restores fertility.

Like 15 per cent of American couples, Clay and Wendi Harris of Orlando, Fla., couldn’t have a baby, despite trying for five years. "We were tested seven ways to Sunday" to look for the cause, Clay Harris said.

After five failed rounds of in vitro fertilization, they had just about given up. Then tests showed that Harris, 38, had a sperm count in "the midrange." However, Witt reviewed Harris’ sample and thought the sperm quality would improve if he had varicocele surgery.

In November 2010, Harris had the surgery, and afterward, "my sperm count went through the roof. It skyrocketed to 90 million." Now, the Harrises are expecting a baby boy in early February. "When we go for our weekly ultrasound," said Clay Harris, "we just stare at the baby on the monitor and hold hands."

Article: 11th November 2011 www.vancouversun.com

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