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FSH treatment in infertile males candidate to assisted reproduction improved sperm DNA fragmentation and pregnancy rate

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether follicle-stimulating hormone treatment improves sperm DNA parameters and pregnancy outcome in infertile male candidates to in-vitro fertilization.

Observational study in 166 infertile male partners of couples undergoing in-vitro fertilization. Eighty-four patients were receiving follicle-stimulating hormone treatment (cases) and 82 refused treatment (controls). Semen parameters, sexual hormones, and sperm nucleus (fluorescence in-situ hybridization, acridine orange, TUNEL, and γH2AX) were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after 3 months (T1), when all subjects underwent assisted reproduction techniques. Statistical analysis was performed by analysis of variance.

Compared to baseline, cases showed significant improvements in seminal parameters and DNA fragmentation indexes after follicle-stimulating hormone therapy (all P < 0.05), whereas no changes were observed in controls. Within cases, follicle-stimulating hormone treatment allowed to perform intrauterine insemination in 35 patients with a pregnancy rate of 23.2 %. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was performed in all controls and in 49 patients from cases, with pregnancy rates of 23.2 and 40.8 %, respectively (P < 0.05). After 3 months (T0 vs. T1) of follicle-stimulating hormone therapy, cases with positive outcome had reduced DNA fragmentation index and lower double strand breaks (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001 vs. negative outcome, respectively).

In this observational study, we showed that follicle-stimulating hormone treatment improves sperm DNA fragmentation, which in turn leads to increased pregnancy rates in infertile males undergoing in-vitro fertilization. In particular, double strand breaks (measured with γH2AX test) emerged as the most sensible parameter to follicle-stimulating hormone treatment in predicting reproductive outcome.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Massimo Menegazzo, Sara Corrò, Sabina Magagna, Adriano Presciutti and Giorgia Romanato, for technical assistance and all the staff of the Pathology of Human Reproduction Unit for helpful discussion. Special thanks to Mrs Karyn Ashley Cecchini BSc, PGDip, for her careful editing.

Author contribution All the authors had full access to the original data, reviewed the data analysis, contributed to data interpretation and to the writing of the report, made final decisions on all parts of the report and approved the final version of the submitted report. A.G., B.E. and C.F. conceived the study and participated in study design and A.G., M.G. and B.E. enrolled subjects and I.C., B.S., A.B. made semen and molecular analyses and A.G., A.B., and A.D.N. and undertook statistical analysis and A.G., M.G., A.B., and A.D.N. contributed to data collection and generation of tables and figures and A.G., M.G., B.E. and C.F. wrote and revised the manuscript

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, via Modena 9, Padova, 35121, Italy

    Andrea Garolla, Marco Ghezzi, Ilaria Cosci, Barbara Sartini, Alberto Bottacin, Andrea Di Nisio & Carlo Foresta

  2. Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Alto Adige, via Ospedale 11, Brunico, 39031, Italy

    Bruno Engl

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  1. Andrea Garolla
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  2. Marco Ghezzi
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Correspondence to Andrea Garolla.

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Garolla, A., Ghezzi, M., Cosci, I. et al. FSH treatment in infertile males candidate to assisted reproduction improved sperm DNA fragmentation and pregnancy rate. Endocrine 56, 416–425 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-016-1037-z

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