Varicocele surgical treatment: Correlation analysis of active oxygen species in seminal plasma and sperm DNA damage

Objective To detect the microsurgery treatment effect for male infertility patients with varicocele including the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in seminal plasma, moreover, explore their correlation. Methods One hundred and twenty left varicocele male infertility with oligospermia and asthenospermia were treated with microscopic ligation of internal spermatic vein in Renji hospital from January 2011 to December 2012. The number of subclinical varicocele (SVC), clinical varicocele I (VcI), clinical varicocele II(VcII) and clinical varicocele III(VcIII) were 30 respectively. Meanwhile, 30 semen samples with normal range of parameters were selected as the control group. Their spouse had been naturally conceived within one year. Semen routine parameters, the sperm DFI and the level of ROS in seminal plasma in each group were detected. Furthermore, the spouse pregnancy condition was followed-up. Results The level of ROS in SVC group had no difference with that of the control group (P>0.05), while the sperm DFI was increased (P<0.05), both of them in VcI group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05)and in VcII and VcIII groups much significantly higher (P<0.01). The sperm DFI was positively correlated with the level of ROS in seminal plasma (r=0.683, P<0.01). The level of ROS and sperm DFI had no difference (P>0.05) in SVC group after microsurgery, whereas, the level of ROS in VcI group was lower (P<0.05) and sperm DFI was not changed (P<0.05). For VcII and VcIII groups, the levels of ROS were significantly decreased (P<0.01)after microsurgery, meanwhile, the sperm DFI in VcII group was declined after 3 months(P<0.05), that of VcIII group was 6 months. The level of ROS and sperm DFI in pregnancy group were lower than that of those whose spouses were not pregnant (P<0.05). Conclusion Vc II and Vc III might contribute to the high level of ROS in seminal plasma and the damage of sperm DNA, whereas, microsurgery will bring benefit for the condition. Furthermore, it had great importance for the examination of the sperm DFI to predict the pregnancy outcome.