Sperm DNA
Testing Sperm DNA damage can help couples optimise diet and lifestyle for fertility. DNA fragmentation testing, The Tunel assay and sperm chromatin dispersion Halo test will be compared. Read on. At Susannah Makram Clinics we offer the best type of sperm DNA fragmentation testing – a type of male fertility testing. At consultation we address the pros and cons of test so you can decide. Ask us how. 0207 060 3181
Couples – who benefits from a sperm DNA test?
Sperm DNA testing UK consultation . We provide essential information regrading lifestyle and our environment based on your health and fertility story so far. We outline what use of the test means for you and your partner. We can suggest which clinics guide couples to their bespoke treatment, for their particular needs. These include couples with:
- Unexplained infertility
- Men with normal semen by semen analysis (normal sperm count and sperm motility) prior to IVF
- Couples who have had unsuccessful IVF
- Couple with no success using ICSI
- Couples who have had miscarriages
Sperm DNA damage – Which Test?
The Comet assay – The SpermComet Test – Lewis Fertility testing at Susannah Makram Clinics
Extensive clinical trials and statistics that prove this test is the best indicator for, not only choosing the right treatment, but also to test when Sperm DNA Damage reversal IN THE FOUR PHASES is successful thus.
Sperm DNA testing Uk
All testing in and outside of the UK to measure sperm DNA damage are different. The Spermcomet test is described by Prof Lewis and was featured in Daily Mail recently. The current range of sperm DNA tests measure different aspects of DNA damage. The tests all have different sensitivities. The tests also provide information that may or may not provide couples with treatment advice.
The four tests most often used today are: 1) the Comet assay, 2) SCSA, 3) the terminal transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and the 4) Sperm Chromatin Dispersion (SCD or Halo) test.
We want only the best for couple visiting our clinic for consultation. If we recommend the test we use data collected to actively reverse sperm DNA damage. this care pathway is unique for every couple at Susannah Makram Clinics.
The Comet assay – The SpermComet Test
The comet assay is a second generation sperm DNA test. Unlike the other three tests, it quantifies the actual amount of DNA damage per sperm. Super DNSA testing UK – result guide can de found here.
One major advantage of this assay is that it uses only 5000 sperm. Therefore, it is suitable for the assessment of small samples left over from clinical use, or for samples where only a few sperm are available.
The Comet assay can measure both single and double strand breaks. With an additional step, the SpermComet can measure even altered bases.
This is useful because we do not yet know which types of DNA damage are most deleterious to male fertility. [tweetthis]We do not yet know which types of #DNA damage are most deleterious to #malefertility. [/tweetthis]
The Comet is sensitive, repeatable and capable of detecting damage in every sperm. This is high sensitivity is evident of fertile donors. Since 2010, clinical thresholds for the diagnosis of male infertility and the prediction of successful IVF have been established.
At Susannah Makram Clinics we use The Comet Assay in our laboratory testing
The Sperm chromatin structure assay
The SCSA is a fluorescence cell sorter test which measures the susceptibility of sperm DNA to denaturation after exposure to heat or acid conditions.
The clinical threshold for this test is a DNA fragmentation index (DFI) of 30%- that means 30% of the sperm have damage (with quantification into moderate or high damage) and 70% have no detectable damage.
Couples with >30% damage are more likely to have success with ICSI than IVF
The TUNEL assay
The TUNEL assay detects ‘nicks’ (free ends of DNA) by incorporating fluorescent stained nucleotides. This allows the detection of single and double stranded damage.
The TUNEL has major potential but robust clinical thresholds have yet to be established.
The sperm chromatin dispersion (Halo) test
The Halo test is a ‘cheap and convenient’ kit form of sperm DNA testing. It is a simple and inexpensive assay, available in fertility labs for in house use.
Unlike all the other tests, the HALO measures the absence of damage, rather than the damaged DNA in sperm.
One limitation of the assay is that its low-density nucleoids are relatively faint, with less contrasting images.
To date, correlations have been observed between DNA and other sperm parameters. Few correlations between sperm DNA damage and ART outcomes have been established with the Halo test, even in large studies.
