Login to Access Video or Poster Abstract: MP35-09
Sources of Funding: AWP is a K12 scholar supported by a Male Reproductive Health Research (MRHR) Career Development Physician-Scientist Award (Grant # HD073917-01 to DJL) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Program. This work is also supported in part by the Burnett Research Fund.

Introduction

Numerous studies have examined the relationship between male infertility and men&[prime]s health but most have not investigated specific causes of infertility and their health impact. Here we examine the relationship between general male health and sperm aneuploidy._x000D_ _x000D_

Methods

We used the Charlson Co-Morbidity Index (CCI) to assess and compare the health status of men with abnormal sperm aneuploidy to five groups of men who received care at an academic infertility clinic: men with normal sperm ploidy (normal FISH), men with genetic abnormalities that may cause infertility (genetic infertile), men presenting for infertility with varicocele (varicocele), men with idiopathic infertility (idiopathic) and proven-fertile men. Sperm ploidy was assessed using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Genetic infertile men had proven Y chromosome microdeletions or abnormal karyotype. CCI for men with sperm FISH results was completed via telephone survey and CCI for genetic infertile men was extracted from intake forms. Men who were diagnosed with a varicocele or idiopathic infertility had not conceived after 12 months. Men with varicoceles, men with idiopathic infertility, and fertile controls completed the CCI in clinic. Fertile controls included men who presented for vasectomy and had fathered a child in the past 5 years. _x000D_

Results

402 men were included in this analysis: 92 with an abnormal sperm FISH results, 7 with a normal sperm FISH test, 49 genetic infertile men, 85 men with idiopathic infertility, 86 infertile men with varicocele, and 83 fertile controls. Mean age, semen density, and CCI of all groups are described in Table 1. Of note, malignancy was common in our cohort, exceeding rates in the SEER database for comparable age (Table 1). Controlling for age, we explored infertility groups as a predictor of elevated CCI score, and found that only men with abnormal sperm FISH (p=0.002) had increased risk of a higher CCI score. Age also increased the risk for a higher CCI score, with each additional year raising the CCI by 0.0117 points (p=0.009). _x000D_ _x000D_

Conclusions

Men with elevated sperm aneuploidy have nearly double the prevalence of general health issues, particularly malignancy, when compared with men with infertility of other etiologies. These findings further support the relationship between genetic causes of male infertility and general health. _x000D_ _x000D_

Funding

AWP is a K12 scholar supported by a Male Reproductive Health Research (MRHR) Career Development Physician-Scientist Award (Grant # HD073917-01 to DJL) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Program. This work is also supported in part by the Burnett Research Fund.