Age related semen parameters and ICSI pregnancy outcomes of 8046 men in Turkey over a 9-year period.

The effect of paternal age on fertility remains unclear. This retrospective study aims to examine the impact of male age on semen parameters and the reproductive outcomes of men admitted to an infertility center over a 9-year period. A total of 8046 patients were included in the study. Men were divided into four age groups. The groups were evaluated for semen parameters and reproductive outcome. The 21-30 year group presented lower sperm concentrations in comparison to those aged 31-40 and 41-50, yet shared a similar concentration to those over 50 years of age. Moreover, grades A and B decreased significantly in men aged over 50 years. The highest progressive motility and normozoospermia were observed in the age group 31-40 years while men over 50 years of age had the highest rates of asthenozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia. Furthermore, live birth results were reported in 5583 of the patients who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and were found highest between 31-40 years of age. To our knowledge, this is the largest study in Turkey focusing on male age-related semen parameters and ICSI pregnancy outcomes. The study demonstrates that age is a significant factor for semen quality and live birth.

The Effects of Glutathione on Clinically Essential Fertility Parameters in a Bleomycin Etoposide Cisplatin Chemotherapy Model.

Chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of testicular cancer cause damage to healthy tissues, including the testis. We investigated the effects of glutathione on sperm DNA integrity and testicular histomorphology in bleomycin etoposide cisplatin (BEP) treated rats. Twelve-week-old male rats of reproductive age (n = 24) were randomly divided into three groups, the (i) control group, (ii) BEP group, and (iii) BEP+ glutathione group. Weight gain increase and testes indices of the control group were found to be higher than that of the BEP group and BEP+ glutathione group. While the BEP treatment increased sperm DNA fragmentation and morphological abnormalities when compared to the control group, GSH treatment resulted in a marked decrease for both parameters. Moreover, BEP treatment significantly decreased serum testosterone levels and sperm counts in comparison to the control group, yet this reduction was recovered in the BEP+ glutathione treated group. Similarly, seminiferous tubule epithelial thicknesses and Johnsen scores in testicles were higher in the control and BEP+ glutathione groups than in the BEP-treated group. In conclusion, exogenous glutathione might prevent the deterioration of male reproductive functions by alleviating the detrimental effects of BEP treatment on sperm quality and testicular histomorphology.

Anti-Müllerian hormone as a predictor of pregnancy in women under 35 years with unexplained infertility undergoing ICSI: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a well-established marker for the determination of ovarian reserve. However, its role in the prediction of pregnancy is still under debate. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship of serum AMH levels with pregnancy rates in patients with unexplained infertility undergoing ICSI. Moreover, we compared the predictive value of AMH with that of antral follicle count (AFC). METHODS: Records of 76 patients under 35 years of age with AMH levels between 1 and 3.5 ng/mL were examined retrospectively. Participants were divided into groups based on their AMH level and age. RESULTS: AMH levels in women under 30 years were found significantly higher than those in women over 30 years (P=0.033). Fifty-seven of 76 patients (75%) were pregnant. Age did not have a significant effect on the pregnancy rates in the selected study group (P=0.252). On the other hand, despite the poor predictive accuracy, serum AMH was shown to have a predictive value with a cut-off point of 1.95 ng/mL. Logistic regression tests demonstrated a higher pregnancy rate (3.396 fold) with an AMH level 1.95 or above. There was no significant relationship between AFC and pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: AMH might have a role in the prediction of pregnancy after ICSI in patients under 35 years with unexplained infertility.