A Comparison of Sperm DNA Damage in the Neat Ejaculate of Sperm Donors and Males Presenting for their Initial Seminogram

A standardised value for characterization of sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) and fertility prediction in patients is regarded as controversial and is one of the primary reasons why the assessment of the sperm DNA is not commonly incorporated into the routine seminogram. To address this conundrum we have conducted an analysis of the incidence of sperm DNA damage between sperm donors and a random cohort of males requested for a first seminogram. The underlying assumption was that sperm DNA damage is a neutral sperm characteristic and differences would not be expected between both cohorts. We analyzed SDF using the sperm chromatin dispersion assay in two large cohorts of individuals that included a comparison of seminograms from 210 sperm donors and 775 couples presenting to the clinic for first time. Results of the analysis revealed that sperm DNA damage cannot be considered as neutral parameter between the two populations (Donor: SDF Mean = 10.7; SD: 8.7; First seminogram: Mean =29.2; SD: 17.6; U-Mann-Whitney 20486; P 0.000). Receiving operating characteristics curves constructed under the parameters of this study showed that a SDF value of 16% was able to discriminate both cohorts of individuals with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 75%. We suggest that when clinics are selecting for sperm donors, they are also likely to be indirectly selecting for a level of SDF which is in the order of 20 points lower than the level found in those couples presenting to the clinic for the first time.