Decline in semen quality among infertile men in Brazil during the past 10 years

ABSTRACTPurpose:To investigate whether the semen quality of men undergoing conventional semen analysis is deteriorating over time.Materials and Methods:We analyzed and compared the sperm count, motility and morphology of 2300 semen samples provided by males undergoing conventional seminal analysis, from years 2000 to 2002 and 2010 to 2012. The incidences of severe oligozoospermia and azoospermia over time were also compared.Results:A total of 764 sperm samples were analyzed in 2000-2002 and 1536 in 20102012. Over time, the mean sperm concentration/ml decreased significantly from 61.7 million in 2000-2002 to 26.7 million in 2010-2012 (R2=11.4%, p<0.001), the total sperm concentration decreased significantly from 183.0 million to 82.8 million (R2=11.3%, p<0.001), and the percentage of normal forms decreased significantly from 4.6% to 2.7% (R2=9.8%, p<0.001). The incidence of severe oligozoospermia significantly increased from 15.7% to 30.3% (OR: 1.09, p<0.001) and the incidence of azoospermia increased from 4.9% to 8.5% (OR: 1.06, p=0.001).Conclusions:This study demonstrated a significant time-related decline in semen quality of infertile patients. This finding might have implications on fertility and emphasizes the need for further studies addressing subject's life-style in order to find and reduce the causative agents. Future prospective and multicenter studies including representative samples of the general population are needed to confirm whether semen quality is really declining.

Alteraciones del espermiograma en pacientes asistidos en la Unidad de Biología de la Reproducción de la Universidad de Chile / Alterations in the semen analysis of patients attending the reproductive biology unit at the University of Chile

En Chile, 10 a 15 por ciento de las parejas son consideradas como infértiles y el factor masculino es responsable en un 50 por ciento de los casos. El espermiograma, es un examen fundamental para el diagnóstico inicial de parejas infértiles. Objetivo: Determinar cambios en cuatro parámetros del espermiograma de mayor valor diagnóstico, según edad, estableciendo el parámetro alterado de mayor frecuencia. Métodos: Se realizo un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de una muestra de 100 pacientes atendidos por problemas de fertilidad entre los años 2004 y 2009, clasificándolos en cuatro grupos etarios. Resultados: Al evaluar la concentración espermática, el 33 por ciento presenta: 5 baja concentración. El 86 por ciento de los pacientes presento astenozoospermia. El 81 por ciento de los pacientes presento anormalidad en la morfología espermática. La viabilidad espermática fue anormal en el 8 por ciento de los pacientes, siendo significativamente más alto en el grupo etario de mayor edad. Conclusiones: Los parámetros estudiados muestran un alto porcentaje de anormalidad en la población en estudio. Al comparar entre grupos, el grupo de mayor edad (sobre los 47 &los) presenta un aumento significativo del- porcentaje de alteraciones en morfología, motilidad y viabilidad respecto a los otros grupos etarios, estableciéndose la edad como un factor negativo en la calidad espermática. La movilidad corresponde al parámetro mas frecuentemente alterado seguido por la morfología espermática a medida que el varón consultante envejece.

In Chile, 10 to 15 percent of the couples are considered as infertile. Since the male factor is responsible of 50 percent of the cases, spermogram is an essential test for initial diagnosis of the infertile couple. Objective: To analyze the frequency of change in four spermogram parameters -according to age- to determine their diagnostic value. Method: A descriptive retrospective study of spermogram data from 100 patients -subdivided in four age groups- analyzed in our Unit for fertility problems between 2004 and 2009 was performed. Results: In sperm count, 33 percenr showed an abnormally low concentration. An 86 percent of the patients has astenozoospermia. 81 percent of the patients showed abnormal sperm morphology. Sperm viability was subnormal in 8 percent of the patients, being significantly higher in the oldest group. Conclusions: The seminal parameters analyzed revealed a high percentage of anomalies in the studied population. The oldest group had significant percentages of anomalies in sperm motility, morphology and viability, thus corroborating that age is a negative factor that affects semen quality. Sperm motility was the most frequently altered parameter followed by sperm morphology in the population under study.

Microdeleçöes do cromossoma Y em homens azoospérmicos e oligoospérmicos severos / Y-Chromosome microdeletions in azoospermic and severel oligozoospermic men

O fator masculino é responsável por aproximadamente metade dos casos de infertilidade do casal. Em mais de 60 por cento dos casos a origem da funçäo testicular diminuída näo é conhecida, podendo haver muitas anomalias genéticas näo identificadas. Microdeleçöes do braço longo do cromossoma Y säo associadas com falência da espermatogênese e tem sido usado para definir três regiöes do Yq (AZFa, AZFb e AZFc) que estäo correntemente deletados em homens inférteis. Em torno de 10 a 15 por cento dos azoospérmicos e 5 a 10 por cento dos homens severemente oligospérmicos tem microdeleçöes do Yq. Técnicas de reproduçäo assistida, principalmente Injeçäo Intra Citoplasmática de Esperma em associaçäo com retirada de esperma testicular, representam uma eficiente terapia para estes pacientes. Os autores fazem uma revisäo atual das microdeleçöes do cromossoma Y e suas conseqüências na fertilidade masculina.

Síndrome de Klinefelter: presentación de 18 casos / Klinefelterïs syndrome: presentation of 18 cases

Se revisan los aspectos clínicos y de laboratorio de 18 pacientes con síndrome de Klinefelter. El síndrome de Klinefelter es la causa congénita más frecuente de hipogonadismo hipergonadotropo y afecta a 1 de cada 500 varones. El diagnóstico se sospecha en un adolescente que falla en progresar en forma normal durante la pubertad y cuyos testículos son pequeños y firmes. El diagnóstico se confirma al encontrar gonadotrofinas elevadas y en en el cariotipo un cromosoma X extra. El diagnóstico precoz permite instaurar un tratamiento a los 11 o 12 años, permitiendo que la pubertad progrese en armonía, con la de sus pares y evita el riesgo de osteoporosis a futuro. En adultos, el tratamiento con enantato de testosterona o parches transdérmicos ejerce efectos positivos en la masa ósea, muscular y en la libido

Vasovasostomías efectuadas en 60 casos, desde junio de 1990 a enero de 1994 / Vasovasostomies performed in 60 cases from June 1990 to January 1994

60 vasovasostomies were performed between june 1990 and january 1994, following the modified one layer technique, under microscopic magnification. All the patients who requested the surgical procedure were included in the present study despite their age or time after vasectomy, in order to have a non selected group. Follow up was given with sperm counts processed under similar standards and performed at 2, 4 and 6 months after the surgical procedure. Our overall experience seems to confirm that strong correlation does not exist between the surgical technique used (one layer vs two layer), but the lapse of time passed between the vasectomy and the reversal is critical. In our series a pregnancy rate of 56.6% was achieved, with a patency rate of 86.7%

Male factors in infertility--a preliminary report.

Findings in 325 consecutive primary seminal analysis done at the Infertility Treatment Centre of IPGMR, are discussed. The clinical profile of the infertile couples was recorded. Semen was examined for quantity, sperm density, motility and morphology. An attempt was also made to correlate past illnesses with the quality of semen. 65 patients (20%) showed azoospermia, while 29 (8.9%) showed sperm count of less than 10 million/ml. History of past illnesses which contribute to azoospermia/oligospermia was obtained in 46% of azoospermia cases compared to only 10% in subjects showing sperm count of over 10 million/ml. Commonest association between azoospermia and past illness was found in the case of small-pox, where out of 31 subjects with past history of small-pox, 15 showed complete azoospermia, one showed sperm density of less then 10 million/ml.