[Epidemio-clinical and seminal profile of the man consulting for the desire to procreate: current situation in Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo]

Introduction

in Lubumbashi, as in upscale areas where explorations of fertility are very clever, the spermogram remains the essential analysis in the diagnosis of male infertility. This is the cause of 40% of couple infertility. The spermogram is the first step in identifying seminal abnormalities. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiological-clinical and seminal profile of the man consulting for the desire to procreate in Lubumbashi.

Methods

this was a cross-sectional study. We received 202 subjects in Lubumbashi, whose spermogram was performed from August 1st, 2020 to July 31st, 2021. The semen parameters were studied and interpreted according to WHO standards (2010) with studies of factors associated with their disturbance. Bivariate and multivariate analyzes had been carried out. The statistical significance threshold was set at p < 0.05.

Results

the epidemiological-clinical profile of the respondents was as follows: the most represented age group was 30 to 39 years; infertility was primary in 80.69% of cases; the duration of the desire for paternity was 2 years at most in 44.55% of cases. The sperm abnormalities found were: oligozoospermia (40.09%), azoospermia (11.38%), asthenozoospermia (18.31%) and teratozoospermia (10.39%). Oligozoospermia was significantly associated with varicocele (ORa = 10.9 [3.0-39.5]; p < 0.0001), genital infection (ORa =2.7 [1.0-7, 2]; p = 0.041) and obesity (ORa = 2.6 [1.0-7.9]; p = 0.020) while azoospermia was the cure for inguinal hernia (ORa = 4.2 [1.0-17.2]; p = 0.049) and malnutrition (ORa =6.0 [1.2-29.7]; p = 0.027). Asthenozoospermia was significantly associated with the age group of 40 to 49 years (ORa = 6.6 [1.2-37.4]; p = 0.034), tobacco (ORa =7.5 [2.7 -21.0]; p = 0.000), undernutrition (ORa = 7.7 [1.0-61.9]; p = 0.045) and overweight (ORa =3.8 [1.3-11, 5]; p=0.019). Teratozoospermia was significantly associated with smoking (ORa = 5.6 [1.8-17.7]; p = 0.003) and overweight (ORa =5.3 [1.2-23.3]; p = 0.027).

Conclusion

more than half of the respondents had, of the three main fertility parameters, at least one that was disturbed. Sperm count was the most affected parameter. Alcohol, tobacco, genital infection and malnutrition were the most common risk factors for the abnormalities observed.

Homozygous SPAG6 variants can induce nonsyndromic asthenoteratozoospermia with severe MMAF

BACKGROUND

Multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) is a subtype of severe asthenoteratozoospermia with poorly understood genetic etiology. SPAG6 is a core axonemal component that plays a critical role in the formation of cilia and sperm flagella. Previous studies have reported that mutations in SPAG6 cause primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), but the association between SPAG6 gene variants and the MMAF phenotype has not yet been described.

METHODS

We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in two unrelated Han Chinese men with MMAF. Sanger sequencing was used to validate the candidate variants. Routine semen analysis was carried out according to the WHO guidelines (5^th Edition). Sperm morphology was assessed using modified Papanicolaou staining. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (S/TEM) was performed to observe the ultrastructural defects of the sperm flagella. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence (IF) of spermatozoa were performed to examine the expression of SPAG6 protein. Assisted fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was applied.

RESULTS

Two homozygous SPAG6 variants were identified by WES and Sanger validation in two patients with MMAF phenotype (F1 II-1: c.308C > A, p. A103D; F2 II-1: c. 585delA, p. K196Sfs*6). Semen analysis showed progressive rates of less than 1%, and most of the spermatozoa presented MMAF by Papanicolaou staining. TEM revealed that the overall axonemal ultrastructure was disrupted and primarily presented an abnormal "9 + 0" configuration. No other PCD-related symptoms were found on physical examination and medical consultations, as well as lung CT screening. The level of SPAG6 protein was significantly decreased in the spermatozoa, and IF analysis revealed that SPAG6 staining was extremely weak and discontinuous in the sperm flagella of the two patients. Notably, F1 II-1 and his wife conceived successfully after undergoing ICSI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research provides new evidence for a potential correlation between SPAG6 variants and the MMAF phenotype.

[Teratozoospermia and karyopathological abnormalities in epithelial urogenital tract cells in male shift workers with varicocele in oil fields of the north of Siberia]

THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH

The aim of this work was to study associations between varicocele and the various types of karyopathologic abnormalities in epithelial urogenital tract cells or teratozoospermia in oil field shift workers of the north of Siberia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We examined 139 male individuals in several oil field of the north of Tomsk and Tyumen regions. The examined individuals were divided in 4 groups: 1) driller-workers with varicocele; 2) driller-workers without varicocele; 3) oil field administrative staff with varicocele, and 4) oil field administrative staff without varicocele. Samples of both the sperm ejaculate and the epithelial urogenital tract cells were obtained from all the individuals for microscopic assay.

RESULTS

It was found that the frequencies of both the teratozoospermia and the various karyopathologic abnormalities in epithelial urogenital cells were significantly higher in the workers with varicocele compared to all the other groups. There were correlations between karyopathologic abnormalities in epithelial urogenital cells and teratozoospermia in both the driller-workers with varicocele and the oil field administrative staff with varicocele. However, the frequencies of damaged cells in this workers group were significantly higher than the ones in the administrative staff with varicocele, which can be associated with the genotoxic effects of work conditions at oil fields of the north of Siberia.

CONCLUSIONS

From the data it was concluded that the increased frequencies of the abnormalities in the epithelial urogenital cells and the sperm in the driller-workers with varicocele may be associated with both the diseases endogenous factor and the genotoxic effects of work conditions at the oil fields.