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'Infertile' studies on mitochondrial DNA variation in asthenozoospermic Tunisian men

Antonio Salas1,2, Federico Martinón-Torres2,3, Alberto Gómez-Carballa1,2

  • 1Unidade de Xenética, Departamento de Anatomía Patolóxica e Ciencias Forenses, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPop Research Group, Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Galicia, Spain.

Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
|September 29, 2017
PubMed

Insights

This review found that five studies on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants and asthenozoospermia in Tunisian men were based on the same patient group, leading to duplicated publications. The evidence does not support a link between mtDNA variations and male infertility.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Bioethics

Background:

  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variations have been investigated for potential links to asthenozoospermia.
  • Previous studies focused on Tunisian men, suggesting a possible association.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the validity of five studies linking mtDNA variation to asthenozoospermia in Tunisian men.
  • To assess the scientific integrity and data reporting of the reviewed publications.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of five related studies.
  • Cohort analysis to identify patient overlap.
  • Phylogenetic analysis of reported mtDNA data.

Main Results:

  • All five studies utilized largely the same patient cohort, a fact not disclosed by the authors.
  • The publication strategy appeared designed to artificially inflate the number of research outputs.
  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed incomplete and deficient data, undermining the reported findings.

Conclusions:

  • The reviewed studies lack scientific validity due to undisclosed patient cohort overlap and data manipulation.
  • The claimed association between mitochondrial DNA variants and asthenozoospermia in Tunisian men is not supported by the evidence.
  • Concerns regarding publication ethics and data integrity were raised.
Keywords:
AsthenozoospermicHaplogroupInfertilityMtdnaPhylogeography

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