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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
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Flow Cytometric Analysis of Biomarkers for Detecting Human Sperm Functional Defects
Published on: April 21, 2022
High frequency of sperm function defects in normozoospermic infertile men
Vertika Singh1, Arijit Chakraborty1,2, Sameer Trivedi3
1Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Summary
Functional sperm defects cause infertility in men with normal semen analysis. Advanced tests reveal issues like DNA damage and oxidative stress, improving diagnosis for unexplained male infertility.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Andrology
- Sperm Biology
Background:
- Conventional semen analysis has limitations in diagnosing male infertility.
- Sperm DNA integrity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and acrosome integrity are crucial for fertilization.
- Hidden functional defects contribute to infertility in a significant number of men.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sperm function defects in infertile men with normozoospermia.
- To highlight the inadequacy of routine semen parameters in assessing male infertility.
- To correlate various sperm functional parameters in infertile and fertile men.
Main Methods:
- Standard semen analysis was performed.
- Sperm DNA damage assessed via Acridine Orange staining.
- Acrosome integrity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and MMP measured by flow cytometry.
Main Results:
- 23% of infertile men met normozoospermia criteria.
- Infertile men showed significantly higher ROS and DNA damage (p<0.001).
- Reduced acrosome integrity and MMP observed in infertile men (p<0.001).
- ROS correlated positively with DNA damage and negatively with MMP.
Conclusions:
- Subtle functional sperm defects are prevalent in normozoospermic infertile men.
- Sperm function tests are valuable as second-line investigations.
- Improved diagnosis and management of unexplained male infertility are possible.
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