Sperm DNA fragmentation testing in clinical management of reproductive medicine.

Abstract

Background: Approximately 8%-12% of couples worldwide face infertility, with infertility of individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) contributing to at least 50% of cases. Conventional semen analysis commonly used to detect sperm abnormalities is insufficient, as 30% of AMAB patients experiencing infertility show normal results in this test. From a genetic perspective, the assessment of sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) is important as a parameter of sperm quality.

Methods: In this narrative study, we review and discuss pathophysiological causes, DNA repair mechanisms, and management of high SDF. We then summarize literature exploring the association between SDF and reproductive outcomes.

Main findings: Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses have revealed a significant association between high SDF in AMAB individuals and adverse reproductive outcomes including embryo development, natural conception, intrauterine insemination, and in vitro fertilization. However, the association with live birth rates and pregnancy rates following intracytoplasmic injection remains inconclusive. The disparities among quantitative assays, inconsistent reference range values, absent high-quality prospective clinical trials, and clinical heterogeneity in AMAB patients with elevated SDF represent the main limitations affecting SDF testing.

Conclusion: The evaluation and management of SDF plays an important role in a subset of AMAB infertility, but widespread integration into clinical guidelines will require future high-quality clinical trials and assay standardization.