Study of the association between SOD3G362A polymorphism, seminal SOD activity and risk for idiopathic male...

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an enzyme that ensures detoxification against oxidative stress in extracellular components. We aimed to evaluate the impact of SOD3G362A polymorphism (rs 2536512) on the impairment of seminal SOD activity and its risk for idiopathic male infertility in Algeria, as well as to investigate the association between sperm DNA integrity, standard semen parameters, and seminal SOD activity.

In this case-control study, we included 111 infertile men with idiopathic infertility and 104 fertile controls from Algeria. Semen analyzing was done according to the World Health Organization manual. Seminal SOD activity was measured using a commercially colorimetric method (Randox Laboratories Ltd., UK). DNA fragmentation was evaluated using the Halosperm kit (Halotech DNA S.L, Spain) and SOD3G362A genotyping was assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction length fragment polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

Seminal SOD activity was significantly lower in the infertile group than in the control group (85.87±40.11 vs 154.24±48.456U/mL, p<0.0001), it also decreased in all infertile subgroups. We detected positive correlations between SOD activity and semen parameters (concentration, mobility, vitality, and morphology) (p≤0.05). There was no association between the risk for male infertility and DNA integrity (p>0.05) and SOD3G362A (OR=0.826, 95%CI: 0.439-1.55, p=0.554). For GA vs GG and (OR=0.639, 95% CI: 0.305-1.340, p=0.235) for AA vs GG.

Seminal SOD evaluation can be a beneficial indicator for sperm quality and risk for idiopathic male infertility in Algeria, while sperm DNA integrity, as well as SOD3G362A genotypes, are not.