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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
Published on: April 21, 2022
DNA breakpoints and free DNA fragments as potential predictors of infertility
Yue Zhou1, Juan Wang1,2, Fan Zhang3
1Institute of Medical Sciences, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Key Laboratory of Fertility Preservation and Maintenance of Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, China.
Abstract:
The study investigated the impact of varicocele on male infertility by analyzing sperm samples from 42 varicocele patients and 22 healthy individuals. Basic sperm parameters such as concentration and vitality were assessed, along with the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) using the SCSA method. Additionally, the mean number of sperm DNA breaks (MDB) and free DNA fragments amount in seminal plasma (fDFA) were analyzed using the TDT-Strand Displacement Probe Technique. Results showed higher levels of DFI, MDB, and fDFA in varicocele-related infertility cases. Combining MDB and fDFA proved more effective in predicting fertility compared to individual assessments or the DFI alone. While these findings suggest a potential role for MDB and fDFA as predictors of male fertility, further rigorous studies are needed to validate their application in varicocele-related male infertility.
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