ABSTRACT
Aim. To compare sperm parameters and the DNA fragmentation in patients after the COVID-19 infection and in men without a history of infection. Materials and methods. Sperm parameters and DNA fragmentation index were evaluated in 172 patients examined in 2020–2022. Based on the data on COVID-19 infection in the anamnesis, the patient’s cohort was divided into three groups: group 1 (n = 16) and group 2 (n = 65) – patients who had an infectious disease less than 75 days and more than 75 days before the delivery of the ejaculate, respectively, and group 3 (control, n = 91) – men have no coronavirus infection. A standard semen examination was performed according by the WHO guidelines (2010) recommendation. Sperm DNA fragmentation was evaluated by fluorescent labeling of single- and double-strand DNA breaks (TUNEL method). Results. The percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA in group 1 varies from 2 to 48 %, in group 2 – from 0.9 to 39 %, in group 3 (control group) – from 1.3 to 52.9 %. The average number of gametes with DNA breaks in group 1 (11.7 ± 3.3 %) is greater than in group 2 (10.6 ± 0.8 %) and in group 3 (10.7 ± 0.8%), but without a statistically significant differences. The proportions of patients whose DNA fragmentation index exceeds the reference value (≤15 %) in groups 1, 2 and 3 are 18.8;13.8 and 18.7 %, respectively. The count of progressively motile (PR) and morphologically normal spermatozoa in group 2 is statistically significantly greater than in group 3 (22.5 ± 1.6 % vs 18.0 ± 1.2 % and 5.52 ± 0.47 % vs 4.03 ± 0.31 %, respectively). Conclusion. The content of sperm with fragmented DNA is higher in men examined less than 75 days after COVID-19 disease, than in patients, examined more than 75 days after COVID-19 and in men who have no history of this infection. In group 1 an increased DNA fragmentation index was noted mainly in patients who had suffered from the disease in a moderate form. © 2022 ABV-Press Publishing House. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The study objective is to evaluate reproductive function in men who underwent vaccination with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) based on quantitative and qualitative sperm characteristics. Materials and methods. Mean ejaculate characteristics were analyzed in 3 independent groups formed from patients examined at the Laboratory of Genetics of Impaired Reproduction of the Research Center for Medical Genetics in 2021: the comparison group consisted of 759 unvaccinated men;the group of 73 men who were vaccinated with Sputnik V and for whom the time between the full vaccination (2 components of the vaccine) and semen analysis was less than 75 days;and the group of 58 men who underwent vaccination more than 75 days prior to semen analysis. The results of semen analysis of 53 patients before and after full vaccination procedure were compared. In 32 patients, less than 75 days passed since vaccination;in 21 patients, more than 75 days;for 5 patients data prior to 75 days since vaccination and after are available. The study group included patients without history of COVID-19. Standard semen analysis was performed in accordance with the World Health Organization Guidelines. For statistical analysis of the differences between the groups Student's t-test was used with significance level of p <0.05. Results. Comparison of semen analysis of the same patients before and after vaccination procedure showed no statis- tically significant differences. Small decrease in progressive motility was observed (from 19.0 ± 0.4 to 13.8 ± 1.1 %), as well as decline in sperm morphology (from 4.53 ± 0.12 to 3.55 ± 0.31 %) in the group who underwent vaccination less than 75 days prior to the analysis. In the group who underwent vaccination more than 75 days before semen analy- sis, sperm characteristics do not differ from the unvaccinated group. Conclusion. There were no statistically significant differences in the ejaculate indices of the same patients before and after vaccination with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac). In the group of patients examined in a short time after vaccination, there is a decrease in the quality of sperm compared to the comparison group (unvaccinated). In the group of patients examined in a more distant period, there are no significant differences in the quality of sperm from the group of unvac- cinated, which indicates the absence of long-term consequences of vaccination for the quality of ejaculate. © 2021 ABC-press Publishing House. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
Introduction. The risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus and potential cross-infection in an in vitro fertilization laboratory remains unclear. SARS-CoV-2 enters the body through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. There is a possibility that high expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on testicular cells can lead to spermatogenesis disfunction and decreased quality of the ejaculate. The study objective is to compare quantitative and qualitative sperm characteristics in patients who sought medical help at the Laboratory of Genetics of Reproductive Disorders at the Research Centre for Medical Genetics with reproduction problems between 2017 and 2020 with a focus on the period of COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods. Results of semen analysis of 4403 patients (mean age 34 years) were considered. Taking into account histories of patients examined in 2020, a separate group of 428 men was formed with 42 men with a history of coronavirus infection confirmed by lab tests (40 cases of mild disease, 2 cases of moderate disease). In 14 patients, sperm analysis was performed twice: prior to COVID-19 and after. Standard sperm analysis was performed in accordance with the World Health Organization Guidelines. For statistical analysis Student's t-test was used with significance level p <0.05. Results. Results of 2020 semen analyses were compared to the control group including 3300 patients examined between 2017 and 2019 prior to emergence of COVID-19 virus in Russia. Decreased mean sperm count was observed in patients examined in 2020 compared to the control group: 302 ± 6 million versus 250 ± 8 million with concurrent increased sperm motility (14.7 ± 0.2 % versus 16.5 ± 0.4 %) and improved sperm morphological (3.07 ± 0.05 % versus 3.92 ± 0.11 %). The differences for these three sperm parametres are statistically significant. In 2020, normospermia was observed in 10.3 % of cases which does not significantly differ from 2017 and 2019 levels. Comparison of semen analyses in 2020 showed that the percentage of normospermia in patients after COVID-19 infection was almost 2-fold lower than in the control group of patients without history of the infection (7.1 % vs 13 %) and percentage of azpoospermia was more 2.5-fold higher (7.1 % vs 2.5 %). In 14 patients, sperm analyses before and after COVID-19 were compared. Mean sperm count after the disease decreased from 244 ± 74 million to 178 ± 34 million. Mean motility characteristics (12.7 and 15.8 %) and normal sperm morphology (2.6 and 3.2 %), on the other hand, had an upward trend after the disease. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 virus and condition of COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to serious decrease in sperm quality in the studied group of Russian patients in 2020. This can be associated with small number of patients after the infection included in the sample, as well as general trend toward improvement in sperm quality observed in recent years. © 2021 Andrologia i Genital'naa Hirurgia. All rights reserved.