An analysis of donor semen quality in Chongqing Human Sperm Bank / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To evaluate the quality of the donor semen in Chongqing Human Sperm Bank and the influence of age on semen parameters.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected semen samples from 899 donors in Chongqing Human Sperm Bank and divided them into five groups according to the age of the semen donors: 22－25, 26－30, 31－35, 36－40, and >40 years old. Using the Makler Counting Chamber, we measured the semen volume, percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS), total motile sperm, sperm concentration, total sperm count per ejaculate, and percentage of morphologically normal sperm (MNS). Then, we compared the semen parameters obtained with the fifth percentile and median reference values published in the WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen-5th Ed (WHO 5th Ed) and among different age groups using the Kruskall-Wallis H test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The semen volume (1.8 ml), sperm concentration (25.0 × 10⁶/ml), total sperm count (100.7 × 106/ejaculate) and MNS (4.3%) in the semen samples of the 899 donors were obviously higher than the fifth percentile values published in the WHO 5th Ed, and so were the first three parameters (4.0 ml, 88.0 × 10⁶/ml, and 333.7 × 106/ejaculate) than the WHO median reference values. PMS (31.0%) and total motile (38.0%) were lower than the WHO fifth percentile values and so was MNS (11.6%) than the WHO median reference value. PMS (55.0%) and total motile sperm (61.0%), however, were coincident with the median reference values of WHO 5th Ed. Statistically significant differences were observed among the 22－25, 26－30, 31－35, 36－40 and >40 years old groups in perm concentration (88.0 ［1.0－270.0］ vs 96.0 ［5.0－335.0］ vs 100.0 ［3.0－200.0］ vs 105 ［15.0－225.0］ vs 90.0 ［22.0－159.0］ × 10⁶/ml, P < 0.05), but not in the semen volume, PMS, total sperm motility, total sperm count or MNS (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The donor semen in Chongqing Human Sperm Bank is generally of high quality. Sperm concentration significantly increases with age but decreases in men aged >40 years.</p>

Bacterial culture of donor semen: Analysis of results / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To investigate bacterial infection and the distribution of different bacterial species in the donor semen and the influence of different bacterial counts on semen quality.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Bacterial colonies in the semen samples from 1 126 donors were counted with the Synbiosis Protocol 3 Automatic Colony Counter and the bacterial species with a colony count ≥10⁴ cfu/ml identified with the VITEK2 Compact Automatic Biochemical Analyzer. The Makler Sperm Counting Board was used to examine the semen quality of the semen samples with a colony count = 0 cfu/ml (n = 22, group A), those with a colony count <10⁴ cfu/ml (n = 22, group B) and those with a colony count ≥10⁴ cfu/ml (n = 22, group C). Univariate analysis was employed for comparison of semen quality among different groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 1 126 donor semen samples cultured, 5 (0.44%) showed mixed bacterial contamination and 993 (88.58%) showed none but with growth of a certain species of bacteria, 2.22% (22/993) with a colony count ≥10⁴ cfu/ml, mainly including Streptococcus bovis, tiny bacilli, Staphylococcus epidermis, and Staphylococcus aureus, among which gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria accounted for 95.45% (21/22) and 4.54% (1/22), respectively. Compared with group A, groups B and C manifested significantly reduced total sperm count (［567.5 ± 327.6］ vs ［421.9 ± 155.9］ and ［389.9 ± 110.6］ × 106 per ejaculate, P <0.05) and percentage of progressively motile sperm (［65.0 ± 6.5］ vs ［61.0 ± 3.5］ and ［61.6 ± 4.3］ %, P <0.05). There were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in the semen liquefaction time, semen pH value, total sperm motility or percentage of morphologically normal sperm (P > 0.05). Of the 284 randomly selected semen samples, 34 (11.97%) were found positive for Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and no significant difference was observed in the semen quality between the UU-positive and UU-negative samples (P> 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The bacteria-positive rate is high in the donor semen and the bacterial species are varied, mainly including gram-positive bacteria. Semen quality is reduced with the increased number of bacterial colonies.</p>

Birth defects among children aged 0-4 in Chongqing in 2010 / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To learn the prevalence of birth defects in Chongqing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 6579 children aged 0 - 4 were chosen by multistage cluster sampling method in central economic districts of Chongqing. A total of 32 kinds of birth defects were selected. All the birth defects, except for the visible congenital malformation, must be diagnosed by the hospital in county. And municipal experts would make a consultation for those that couldn't be diagnosed at the level of county. Investigators trained strictly made a body examination and inquired medical history from May to September in 2010.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 6541 subjects, aged from 0 to 4, were recruited in the present study, and 216 of them were born with birth defects. The total prevalence was 33.48‰ (95%CI: 29.09‰-37.87‰). There were 25 kinds of birth defects in total, the first five were hernia (20.15‰), congenital heart disease (2.17‰), polydactylism (2.02‰), cryptorchid (1.86‰) and funnel chest (1.86‰). The prevalence among boys was 52.99‰ (178/3359), higher than girls 12.29‰ (38/3092) (χ2=82.42, P<0.05). The prevalence in each group aged 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 were 39.30‰ (36/916), 38.79‰ (41/1057), 36.46‰ (56/1536), 28.38‰ (47/1656), 27.99‰ (36/1286), respectively. There were no statistical differences in each group (χ2=4.83, P=0.31). The prevalence in countryside was 40.17‰ (136/3386), higher than that in town 26.18‰ (80/3065) (χ2=9.83, P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The rate of birth defects in Chongqing was moderate, and boys and kids in rural areas had a higher prevalence rate than their counterparts.</p>

An analysis on chromosome X, Y and 18 in the spermatozoa of asthenospermia patients by triple-color fluorescence in situ hybridization / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the numerical aberration of chromosome X, Y and 18 in the spermatozoa of asthenospermia patients by triple-color fluorescence in situ hybridization.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The experiment included 10 asthenospermia patients and 5 healthy men with normal semen quality as controls. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and probes for chromosomes including X, Y and 18 were used to determine the frequency of the aneuploid of the chromosomes in spermatozoa.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 45,547 spermatozoa counted from the semen samples, the hybridization rate was 99.18%. The frequencies of the chromosome disomies including XX18, XY18, YY18, X1818 and Y1818 were (0.124 +/- -0.086)%, (0.360 +/- 0.380)%, (0.109 +/- 0.195)%, (0.342 +/- 0.746)% and (0.299 +/- 0.564)% in the case group and (0.014 +/- 0.019)%, (0.090 +/- 0.080)%, (0.030 +/- 0.031)%, (0.068 +/- 0.103)% and (0.075 +/- 0.083)% in the control. The sperm aneuploid rate was 9.25% in the former and 2.70% in the latter, with significant difference in between (P< 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Asthenospermia patients have a higher aneuploid rate of sperm chromosome than normal fertile men. However, larger samples are yet to be studied to obtain more scientific evidence.</p>