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Exploring the Association between Childhood Asthma and Abnormal Spermatozoa: An Analysis Using Mendelian
Qian Zhang1,2, Yao Ge1, Yuan Chen1
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Iranian Journal of Public Health
|April 14, 2025
Summary
Childhood asthma does not causally impact sperm formation. Genetic analysis found no link between childhood asthma and abnormal spermatozoa, suggesting no increased risk for male infertility in individuals with asthma history.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Genetics
- Respiratory medicine
Background:
- Childhood asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory condition.
- Asthma-induced hypoxia and inflammation may affect sperm apoptosis.
- The relationship between childhood asthma and sperm abnormalities remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential causal link between childhood asthma and abnormal spermatozoa formation using genetic data.
Main Methods:
- Employed two-sample Mendelian randomization (2SMR) utilizing European genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data.
- Screened 16 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables.
- Applied inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median, MR-Egger, and mode-based methods for causal inference.
Main Results:
- Childhood asthma was not identified as an independent risk factor for abnormal sperm formation (P=0.14).
- Consistent results were observed across multiple statistical models (WME, MR-Egger, Simple mode, Weighted mode).
- Sensitivity analyses (leave-one-out, heterogeneity tests) indicated no significant horizontal pleiotropy.
Conclusions:
- No causal relationship was found between childhood asthma and abnormal spermatozoa formation at the genetic level.
- Genetic evidence suggests childhood asthma does not increase the risk of male infertility due to sperm abnormalities.
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