Differential DNA methylation pattern and sperm quality in men with varicocele

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Epigenetics
• Genomics

Background:

• Varicocele is a common cause of male infertility.
• Sperm DNA methylation patterns are crucial for male fertility.
• The impact of varicocele on sperm DNA methylation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate global DNA methylation patterns in spermatozoa of men with varicocele.
• To assess the relationship between varicocele and semen quality.
• To identify specific differentially methylated regions in varicocele patients.

Main Methods:

• Prospective observational case-control study.
• Semen quality analysis.
• Sperm DNA methylation profiling using the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip platform.

Main Results:

• Men with varicocele exhibited decreased semen quality.
• Global sperm DNA hypomethylation was observed in varicocele patients compared to controls.
• 59 differentially methylated CpG sites and 1,695 differentially methylated DNA regions were identified in the varicocele group.

Conclusions:

• Sperm DNA methylation changes, particularly hypomethylation in regions associated with male reproductive pathways, may contribute to the reduced semen quality in varicocele.
• Varicocele grade might influence the extent of global DNA methylation alterations.
• This study provides novel insights into CpG-specific and regional DNA methylation changes in varicocele-associated infertility.