Objective. The study aimed to evaluate the semen examination parameters and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in subfertile men in different ages to put the diagnostically significant correlations. Materials and Methods. From June to December 2024 semen samples from 200 men (median age 38 years) with complaints of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, including assisted reproductive technology (ART). In private clinic of reproduction in Vladimir city the semen samples were underwent to innovative basic semen examination by ‘Spermogram’ kit (Russia) and qualitative ROS level assessment via the ‘OxySpermNBT-L&Q’ kit (Russia) (Oxy-Test). Statistical analysis was performed using by the built-in analysis toolkit of Excel® 2016 MSO (© Microsoft, 2016); a proprietary statistical package (Stat2015) developed by V. S. Sheludko (2001 – 2016); MedCalc® 15.8 Portable (© MedCalc Software, 1993 – 2014). Results. Basic semen examination revealed normozoospermia in 19 % of men, scenario of pathozoospermia (excluding cryptozoospermia and azoospermia) in 81 % men. A strong statistically significant (p < 0.0001) positive correlation was identified in ROS levels with age (r = 0.429), dyskinesia (r = 0.478), necrozoospermia (r = 0.536); negative correlation in ROS levels with normozoospermia (r = –0.364). А moderate statistically significant (p < 0.05) correlation was presented in ROS levels with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT), oligoasthenozoospermia (OA), leucocytospermia, and hematospermia. Oxidative stress (OS) (moderate/high ROS) was detected in 67 % of cases (n = 134); 19 % (n = 38) of them presented with normozoospermia; with prevalences in more than 35 age and the highest age variability (SD ±8.3 years) in the moderate ROS-group. Patients with high ROS were 12 years older on average than those with low ROS. Conclusion. ROS levels can pose as an integrative marker of semen damage, reflecting age-related degenerative changes of ejaculate. The inverse correlation with normozoospermia underscores ROS's role in detecting hidden subfertility undiagnosable by basic semen examination. For future prospect and clinical implication, it can propose the ROS assessment is mandatory approach to check-up the male population with age 35+, even they semen parameters is within the limits.
Zhanna Yu. Sapozhkova – MD, PhD, Editor-in-chief ‘Laboratory and clinical medicine. Pharmacy’ journal, Head of International Cytology School, Moscow, Russia.
Vladimir V. Dolgov – MD, PhD, DSc, Professor of the Department of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics with a Course in Laboratory Immunology, Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education ‘Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education’ of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.
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