Sexual Medicine, Fertility, Urology and Andrology in Seville

What is DNA fragmentation?

It is an expression of testicular damage that affects your DNA and determines faults in its fundamental role, which is to fertilize and be replicated, resulting in a new being.

Why does it happen? What causes it?

The quality of sperm DNA seems to get worse primarily with increasing paternal age, especially after 45 years. A series of habits (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, heat) and diseases (varicocele, obesity, infections, etc.) can affect deteriorated sperm DNA.

What impact can it have?

The high rate of fragmentation affects fertilization failures, resulting in sterility, and first trimester miscarriages, often in the first days after attempting In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).

How is it diagnosed?

Determination of DNA fragmentation is a semen analysis. There are several laboratory methods to finally get what is called a DNA fragmentation rate. This rate should generally not exceed 30% of the sperm.

Can it be treated?

The potential damage to sperm fragmentation could be reduced by diagnosing the cause of this fragmentation and initiating treatment. When the cause is unknown or cannot be determined, different types of antioxidants and medical treatments are usually used.  The rates of fragmentation can also be reduced obtaining sperm directly from the testis by testicular biopsy. This fact is of great clinical relevance in cases of couples with repeated pregnancy failure with unexplained high levels of DNA fragmentation in ejaculated spermatozoa.

Esta página fue repasada el 14/12/2014