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Sperm DNA testing UK

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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.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing

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When IVF Fails
MORE THAN 60,000 IVF CYCLES take place in Britain each year. Just 24% of these treatments lead to live births. At Susannah Makram Clinics we’re here to use information highlighted below. This helps map out a care pathway centred around optimising your health.    [tweetthis]There are >60,000 #IVF cycles in Britain p.a. Only 24% of these lead to live #births[/tweetthis]

When IVF Fails

IVF Implantation Failure. Why does in vitro fertilisation sometimes fail?

When IVF fails it’s a frustrating situation for couples and their fertility doctors. Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing results can help be a guide for couples.

Why do we do sperm DNA fragmentation testing at Susannah Makram Clinics London?
Email from client: “We have followed your instructions and the Aneuploidy test went down from 60% to 14% which is a very good result. I feel fine and have lost weight…” — Mr. R (Dubai)

Before booking your appointment with Nutrition Expert Susannah for referral we’ll help assess the need for Sperm Fragmentation Testing. This way you know what to expect when you book your appointment with Susannah. Will this data be helpful in your case, on your fertility journey? The extent of this is covered in your initial consultation when a full history taken.
We use this test at Susannah Makram Clinics London – with use of previous reports and investigations and your medical case history. When it comes to helping you make nutrition and lifestyle changes we answer: How will these benefit you and your partner?
The SpermComet Test for Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing helps couples decide whether IVF is best first or again. Sperm DNA fragmentation reports guide couples to help them map out their fertility treatment route. At Susannah Makram Clinics we’re here to use this information to map out a care pathway centred around optimising your health.
There is an equation we can use to illustrate the implantation process:

  • Embryo quality + receptivity of uterine lining = chance for implantation and pregnancy
  • We know that many human embryos will arrest (die) before day 5
  • Unfortunately, embryonic arrest also occurs after day 5
  • Some of the embryos that are transferred that ” look good” will die after they are placed in the uterus
  • This is the explanation for IVF failure in the large majority of cases
  • It is usually a weakness in the embryo that leads to failed implantation
  • On the average, only about 25% of transferred embryos continue to develop and become kids
  • This percentage of implanting embryos is greatly dependent on female age – see below
    • About 45% implant under age 35
    • About 15% implant at age 40-42

When IVF fails, couples often ask why the embryos did not stick. When IVF fails we ask why the uterus isn’t accepting the embryos. Rarely is the answer straightforward, unfortunately.

At Susannah Makram Clinics we feel passionately about this. We care greatly that information is provided to patients at all times. Especially in this difficult time, so time is not wasted and that right treatment is offered. We care to avoid heartache.

Unexplained infertility

Unexplained infertility is a frustrating conclusion for couples. It’s a very unsatisfactory diagnosis for couples and clinic alike. In our latest study we have shown that 80% of couples diagnosed with idiopathic infertility have sperm DNA damage (>25% damage per sperm).

This suggests that sperm DNA damage is the cause of infertility in a substantial number of men if we compare these levels of damage we reported in sperm of donor men with proven fertility

When IVF Fails

When IVF Fails

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing

WE KNOW:

The percentage of implanting embryos is greatly dependent on female age. Typically female age is the main factor responsible for unexplained infertility. This is especially the case after repeated failure of  IVF cycles. Find out more about this in detail here.

Which couples benefit from a sperm DNA test?

Sperm DNA testing will provide essential information on which clinics can guide couples to bespoke treatment for their particular needs. These include couples with:

  • Unexplained infertility
  • Men with normal semen by semen analysis prior to embarking on IVF
  • Couples who have had unsuccessful IVF
  • Couples who have had miscarriages

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing

We are testing Sperm DNA damage so we may guide couples with low damage to intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). We are pro patient choice.

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing

Sperm DNA Fragmentation Testing

 

Guiding couples with high DNA damage to ICSI and only couples who would not benefit from testing are advisable but ultimately it is the couples’ choice. With oligo-astheno-terato-zoospermia there is no treatment other than ICSI for couples. It helps to understand what this means. That is why we take the time to explain all options available to couples following any fertility results.

At Susannah Makram Clinics we use the SpermComet Test for Sperm DNA fragmentation testing. Find out why here


Safe, clinical, practical and effective.


Call  020 7060 3181