Sperm DNA Integrity in Leukocytospermia and Its Association with Seminal Adenosine Deaminase

The study aimed to examine the effect of leukocytospermia on sperm quality and the levels of seminal adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme in males attending an infertility clinic in a tertiary hospital and to detect the association, if any, between seminal ADA and sperm quality.

Consenting male subjects, between 21 and 45 years, attending the infertility clinic and qualifying the eligibility criteria were recruited following informed consent. The collected semen samples were analyzed for the routine parameters based on the WHO protocols and for sperm DNA fragmentation. The seminal leukocyte count was detected using the peroxidase method, and the seminal ADA was assessed using spectrophotometry.

Samples from 110 participants were included in the study; leukocytospermia was detected in 33% of the samples. A significant reduction in the sperm quality with respect to conventional semen parameters (sperm motility and sperm vitality) and sperm DNA fragmentation index (SDFI) was noted in the presence of leukocytospermia. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between the levels of seminal ADA and SDFI was noted (P = 0.000, r = 0.412).

The sperm motility and DNA integrity are significantly compromised in the presence of leukocytospermia when the leukocyte count is > 1 million/mL of semen as well as 0.5-1 million/mL of semen. The positive correlation noted between seminal ADA levels and increased sperm DNA damage paves way for the possibility of seminal ADA to be an indicator of silent male genital tract inflammation as well as low-quality semen.