ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess sperm caspase-9 activity in infertile oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) men with and without varicocele. DESIGN: Prospective. SETTING: Academic setting. PATIENT(S): Eighty men: healthy fertile control subjects (n = 20), OAT (n = 25), and OAT associated with left-side varicocele (n = 35). INTERVENTION(S): History taking, clinical examination, semen analysis,assessment of seminal caspase-9. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Semen analysis, sperm caspase-9. RESULT(S): Sperm caspase-9 was significantly increased in infertile OAT men associated with varicocele compared with OAT men without varicocele and healthy fertile control subjects. Sperm casapse-9 activity demonstrated significant negative correlation with sperm count, sperm motility, sperm velocity, sperm linear velocity, sperm linearity index, and sperm normal morphology. CONCLUSION(S): Sperm caspase-9 is exaggerated in infertile OAT cases with varicocele compared with infertile OAT cases without varicocele or healthy fertile men. Sperm caspase-9 demonstrated significant negative correlation with semen variables.
