The Link Between Oxidative Stress and Male Infertility in Lithuania: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Andrology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Male infertility is a significant public health issue, with a substantial percentage of cases lacking a clear cause.
• Understanding the epidemiological landscape of male infertility is crucial for public health initiatives.
• Oxidative stress is increasingly recognized as a contributing factor in male reproductive health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the epidemiological characteristics of male infertility in Lithuania.
• To evaluate the clinical usefulness of oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) testing using the MiOXSYS system for diagnosing male infertility.
• To explore the potential of ORP assessment in reclassifying unexplained infertility cases.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage retrospective study involving 718 men for epidemiological analysis and 261 men for ORP testing.
• Semen parameters assessed per World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 guidelines.
• Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis employed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of ORP.

Main Results:

• Male infertility was the sole cause in 20.1% of couples; unexplained infertility constituted 24.4%.
• Nearly half (48.5%) of normozoospermic men showed elevated ORP levels.
• ORP testing demonstrated moderate diagnostic accuracy (AUC=0.634) and aided in reclassifying unexplained cases under the Male Oxidative Stress Infertility (MOSI) framework.

Conclusions:

• This research provides essential epidemiological data on male infertility in Lithuania.
• Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) testing shows promise as a supplementary diagnostic tool for male infertility.
• Systematic oxidative stress evaluation can improve the identification of unexplained infertility and personalize treatment strategies.