Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-8bljj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-01T04:28:22.409Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 4 - Extended Semen Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 February 2022

David Mortimer
Affiliation:
Oozoa Biomedical Inc., Vancouver
Lars Björndahl
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
Christopher L. R. Barratt
Affiliation:
University of Dundee
José Antonio Castilla
Affiliation:
HU Virgen de las Nieves, Granada
Roelof Menkveld
Affiliation:
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Ulrik Kvist
Affiliation:
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
Juan G. Alvarez
Affiliation:
Centro ANDROGEN, La Coruña
Trine B. Haugen
Affiliation:
Oslo Metropolitan University
Get access

Summary

Provides methods for a range of common additional assessments on semen that are structured as standard operating procedures (SOPs) for easy use at the bench. Methods are focussed on objectivity, robustness, standardized reporting, controlling the risk of errors, and minimizing measurement uncertainty. Includes anti-sperm antobodies (direct and indirect MAR test), immunocytochemical staining of leukocytes, meaaurement of reactive oxygen species and seminal plasma redox state, and biochemical tests on the seminal plasma to evaluate acessory gland function (zinc for the prostate, frutose for the seminal vesicles and alpha-glusidase for the epidiymis) and investigate abnormalities of the sequence of ejaculation. There is also a discussion on the microbiological examination of semen,.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chamley, LW, Clarke, GN. Antisperm antibodies and conception. Semin Immunopathol 2007; 29: 169–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rowe, PJ, Comhaire, FH, Hargreave, TB, Mahmoud, AMA. WHO Manual of the Standardized Investigation, Diagnosis and Management of the Infertile Male. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.Google Scholar
Chiu, WW, Chamley, LW. Clinical associations and mechanisms of action of antisperm antibodies. Fertil Steril 2004; 82: 529–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lombardo, F, Gandini, L, Lenzi, A, Dondero, F. Antisperm immunity in assisted reproduction. J Reprod Immunol 2004; 62: 101–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mortimer, D. Practical Laboratory Andrology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronson, RA, Cooper, GW, Rosenfeld, DL. Sperm-specific isoantibodies and autoantibodies inhibit the binding of human sperm to the human zona pellucida. Fertil Steril 1982; 38: 724–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leushuis, E, et al. Immunoglobulin G antisperm antibodies and prediction of spontaneous pregnancy. Fertil Steril 2009; 92: 1659–65.Google Scholar
Barbonetti, A, et al. Relationship between natural and intrauterine insemination-assisted live births and the degree of sperm autoimmunisation. Hum Reprod 2020; 35: 1288–95.Google Scholar
Barbonetti, A, et al. Prevalence of anti-sperm antibodies and relationship of degree of sperm auto-immunization to semen parameters and post-coital test outcome: a retrospective analysis of over 10 000 men. Hum Reprod 2019; 34: 834–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barratt, CL, Dunphy, BC, McLeod, I, Cooke, ID. The poor prognostic value of low to moderate levels of sperm surface-bound antibodies. Hum Reprod 1992; 7: 95–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verón, GL, et al. Incidence of sperm surface autoantibodies and relationship with routine semen parameters and sperm kinematics. Am J Reprod Immunol 2016; 76: 5969.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Helmerhorst, FM, Finken, MJ, Erwich, JJ. Antisperm antibodies: detection assays for antisperm antibodies: what do they test? Hum Reprod 1999; 14: 1669–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hjort, T. Antisperm antibodies and infertility: an unsolvable question? Hum Reprod 1999; 14: 2423–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mahmoud, A, Comhaire, F. Antisperm antibodies: use of the mixed agglutination reaction (MAR) test using latex beads. Hum Reprod 2000; 15: 231–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meinertz, H, Linnet, L, Fogh-Andersen, P, Hjort, T. Antisperm antibodies and fertility after vasovasostomy: a follow-up study of 216 men. Fertil Steril 1990; 54: 315–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matson, PL. External quality assessment for semen analysis and sperm antibody detection: results of a pilot scheme. Hum Reprod 1995; 10: 620–5.Google ScholarPubMed
Bohring, C, Krause, W. Interlaboratory variability of the indirect mixed antiglobulin reaction in the assessment of antisperm antibodies. Fertil Steril 2002; 78: 1336–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Altmäe, S, Franasiak, JM, Mändar, R. The seminal microbiome in health and disease. Nat Rev Urol 2019; 16: 70321. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-019-0250-yCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koedooder, R, Mackens, S, Budding, A, et al. Identification and evaluation of the microbiome in the female and male reproductive tracts. Hum Reprod Update 2019; 25: 298325. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmy048CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elder, K, Baker, D, Ribes, J. Infections, Infertility and Assisted Reproduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.Google Scholar
Farahani, L, Tharakan, T, Yap, T, et al. The semen microbiome and its impact on sperm function and male fertility: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Andrology 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.12886Google Scholar
Baud, D, Pattaroni, C, Vulliemoz, N, et al. Sperm microbiota and its impact on semen parameters. Front Microbiol 2019; 10: 234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00234Google Scholar
Oghbaei, H, Rastgar Rezaei, Y, Nikanfar, S, et al. Effects of bacteria on male fertility: spermatogenesis and sperm function. Life Sci 2020; 256: 117891. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117891Google Scholar
van der Kuyl, AC, Berkhout, B. Viruses in the reproductive tract: on their way to the germ line? Virus Res 2020; 286: 198101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198101CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williamson, DA, Chen, MY. Emerging and reemerging sexually transmitted infections. N Engl J Med 2020; 382: 2023–32.Google Scholar
Kurscheidt, FA, Damke, E, Bento, JC, et al. Effects of herpes simplex virus infections on seminal parameters in male partners of infertile couples. Urology 2018; 113: 52–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2017.11.050Google Scholar
Weinberg, M, Sar-Shalom Nahshon, C, Feferkorn, I, et al. Evaluation of human papilloma virus in semen as a risk factor for low sperm quality and poor in vitro fertilization outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril 2020; 113: 955–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2020.01.010CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pan, F, Xiao, X, Guo, J, et al. No evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 in semen of males recovering from coronavirus disease 2019. Fertil Steril 2020; 113: 1135–9.Google Scholar
Li, D, Jin, M, Bao, P, et al. Clinical characteristics and results of semen tests among men with coronavirus disease 2019. JAMA Network Open 2020; 3: e208292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Holtmann, N, Edimiris, P, Andree, M, et al. Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 in human semen: a cohort study. Fertil Steril 2020; 114: 234–9.Google Scholar
Aitken, RJ. COVID‐19 and human spermatozoa: potential risks for infertility and sexual transmission? Andrology 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/andr.12859Google Scholar
Tomlinson, MJ, Barratt, CL, Cooke, ID. Prospective study of leukocytes and leukocyte subpopulations in semen suggests they are not a cause of male infertility. Fertil Steril 1993; 60: 1069–75.Google Scholar
Aitken, RJ, Buckingham, D, West, K, et al. Differential contribution of leukocytes and spermatozoa to the generation of reactive oxygen species in the ejaculates of oligozoospermic patients and fertile donors. J Reprod Fertil 1992; 94: 451–62.Google Scholar
Aitken, RJ, West, K, Buckingham, D. Leukocytic infiltration into the human ejaculate and its association with semen quality, oxidative stress, and sperm function. J Androl 1994; 15: 343–52.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Castellini, C, et al. Relationship between leukocytospermia, reproductive potential after assisted reproductive technology, and sperm parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies. Andrology 2020; 8: 125–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization. WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen, 5th edn. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2010.Google Scholar
Comhaire, F, Verschraegen, G, Vermeulen, L. Diagnosis of accessory gland infection and its possible role in male infertility. Int J Androl 1980; 3: 3245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eggert-Kruse, W, Zimmermann, K, Geißler, W, et al. Clinical relevance of polymorphonuclear (PMN-) elastase determination in semen and serum during infertility investigation. Int J Androl 2008; 32: 317–29.Google Scholar
Henkel, R, Offor, U, Fisher, D. The role of infections and leukocytes in male infertility. Andrologia 2020; 21: e13743.Google Scholar
Nahoum, CR, Cardozo, D. Staining for volumetric count of leukocytes in semen and prostrate-vesicular fluid. Fertil Steril 1980; 34: 68–9.Google Scholar
Tomlinson, MJ, Barratt, CL, Bolton, AE, et al. Round cells and sperm fertilizing capacity: the presence of immature germ cells but not seminal leukocytes are associated with reduced success of in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 1992; 58: 1257–9.Google Scholar
Alvarez, JG, Storey, BT. Spontaneous lipid peroxidation in rabbit epididymal spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 1982; 27: 1102–8.Google Scholar
Holland, MK, Alvarez, JG, Storey, BT. Production of superoxide and activity of superoxide dismutase in rabbit epididymal spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 1982; 27: 1109–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Alvarez, JG, Storey, BT. Lipid peroxidation and the reactions of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide in mouse spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 1984; 30: 833–41.Google Scholar
Alvarez, JG, Touchstone, JC, Blasco, L, Storey, BT. Spontaneous lipid peroxidation and production of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide in human spermatozoa. Superoxide dismutase as major enzyme protectant against oxygen toxicity. J Androl 1987; 8: 338–48.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aitken, RJ, Clarkson, JS. Cellular basis of defective sperm function and its association with the genesis of reactive oxygen species by human spermatozoa. J Reprod Fertil 1987; 81: 459–69.Google Scholar
Alvarez, JG, Storey, BT. Differential incorporation of fatty acids into and peroxidative loss of fatty acids from phospholipids of human spermatozoa. Mol Reprod Dev 1995; 42: 334–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fraga, CG, Motchnik, PA, Shigenaga, MK, et al. Ascorbic acid protects against endogenous oxidative DNA damage in human sperm. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1991; 88: 11003–6.Google Scholar
Fraga, CG, Motchnik, PA, Wyrobek, AJ, et al. Smoking and low antioxidant levels increase oxidative damage to sperm DNA. Mutat Res 1996; 351: 199203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ollero, M, Guzman-Gi, E, Lopez, MC, et al. Characterization of subsets of human spermatozoa at different stages of maturation: implications in the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility. Hum Reprod 2001; 16: 1912–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saleh, RA, Agarwal, A, Kandirali, E, et al. Leukocytospermia is associated with increased reactive oxygen species production by human spermatozoa. Fertil Steril 2002; 78: 1215–24.Google Scholar
Drevet, JR. The antioxidant glutathione peroxidase family and spermatozoa: a complex story. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2006; 250: 70–9.Google Scholar
Aitken, RJ, Gordon, E, Harkiss, D, et al. Relative impact of oxidative stress on the functional competence and genomic integrity of human spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 1998; 59: 1037–46.Google Scholar
Agarwal, A, Makker, K, Sharma, R. Clinical relevance of oxidative stress in male factor infertility: an update. Am J Reprod Immunol 2008; 59: 211.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shekarriz, M, Thomas, AJ Jr, Agarwal, A. Incidence and level of seminal reactive oxygen species in normal men. Urology 1995; 45: 103–7.Google Scholar
Allamaneni, SSR, Agarwal, A, Nallela, KP, et al. Characterization of oxidative stress status by a simple clinical test: evaluation of reactive oxygen species levels in whole semen and isolated spermatozoa. Fertil Steril 2005; 83: 800–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Benjamin, D, Sharma, RK, Moazzam, A, Agarwal, A. Methods for the detection of ROS in human sperm samples. In: Agarwal, A, Aitken, RJ, Alvarez, JG, eds. Studies on Men´s Health and Fertility. New York: Springer Science + Business Media, 2012, 257–73.Google Scholar
Sharma, RK, Agarwal, A. Reactive oxygen species and male infertility (review). Urology 1996; 48: 835–50.Google Scholar
Shapiro, HM. Redox balance in the body: an approach to quantitation. J Surg Res 1972; 13: 138–52.Google Scholar
Bar-Or, D, Bar-Or, R, Rael, LT, et al. Heterogeneity and oxidation status of commercial human albumin preparations in clinical use. Crit Care Med 2005; 33: 1638–41.Google Scholar
Stagos, D, Goutzourelas, N, Bar-Or, D, et al. Application of a new oxidation-reduction potential assessment method in strenuous exercise-induced oxidative stress. Redox Rep 2015; 20: 154–62.Google Scholar
Robert, KA, Sharma, R, Henkel, R, Agarwal, A. An update on the techniques used to measure oxidative stress in seminal plasma. Andrologia 2020: e13726. https://doi.org/10.1111/and.13726CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Douglas, C, Parekh, N, Kahn, LG, et al. A novel approach to improving the reliability of manual semen analysis: a paradigm shift in the workup of infertile men. World J Mens Health 2019. https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.190088Google Scholar
Agarwal, A, Arafa, M, Chandrakumar, R, et al. A multicenter study to evaluate oxidative stress by oxidation-reduction potential, a reliable and reproducible method. Andrology 2017; 5: 939–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Agarwal, A, Panner Selvam, MK, Arafa, M, et al. Multi-center evaluation of oxidation-reduction potential by the MiOXSYS in males with abnormal semen. Asian J Androl 2019; 21: 565–9.Google Scholar
Vassiliou, A, Martin, CH, Homa, ST, et al. Redox potential in human semen: validation and qualification of the MiOXSYS assay. Andrologia 2020; e13938.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnsson, Ø, Eliasson, R. Evaluation of a commercially available kit for the colorimetric determination of zinc in human seminal plasma. Int J Androl 1987; 10: 435–40.Google Scholar
Wang, J, Niu, Y, Zhang, C, Chen, Y. A micro-plate colorimetric assay for rapid determination of trace zinc in animal feed, pet food and drinking water by ion masking and statistical partitioning correction. Food Chem 2018; 245: 337–45.Google Scholar
Cooper, TG, Weidner, W, Nieschlag, E. The influence of inflammation of the human male genital tract on secretion of the seminal markers α-glucosidase, glycerophosphocholine, carnitine, fructose and citric acid. Int J Androl 1990; 13: 329–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dreden, P, Richard, P, Gonzales, J. Fructose and proteins in human semen. Andrologia 1989; 21: 576–9.Google Scholar
Jungreis, E, Nechama, M, Paz, G, Homonai, T. A simple spot test for the detection of fructose deficiency in semen. Int J Androl 1989; 12: 195–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Paquin, R, Chapdelaine, R, Dube, JY, Tremblay, RR. Similar biochemical properties of human seminal plasma and epididymal α-1,4-glucosidase. J Androl 1984; 5: 277–82.Google Scholar
Cooper, TG, Yeung, CH, Nashan, D, et al. Improvement in the assessment of human epididymal function by the use of inhibitors in the assay of α-glucosidase in seminal plasma. Int J Androl 1990; 13: 297305.Google Scholar
MacLeod, J, Gold, RZ. The male factor in fertility and infertility. III. An analysis of motile activity in the spermatozoa of 1000 fertile men and 1000 men in infertile marriage. Fertil Steril 1951; 2: 187204.Google Scholar
Lindholmer, C. Survival of human spermatozoa in different fractions of split ejaculate. Fertil Steril 1973; 24: 521–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Björndahl, L, Kjellberg, S, Kvist, U. Ejaculatory sequence in men with low sperm chromatin-zinc. Int J Androl 1991; 14: 174–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Björndahl, L, Kvist, U. Influence of seminal vesicular fluid on the zinc content of human sperm chromatin. Int J Androl 1990; 13: 232–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Björndahl, L, Kvist, U. Sequence of ejaculation affects the spermatozoon as a carrier and its message. Reprod Biomed Online 2003; 7: 440–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×