Novel association between sperm deformity index and oxidative stress-induced DNA damage in infertile male patients

Aim:To investigate the impact of abnormal sperm morphology using the sperm deformity index (SDI) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and its correlation with sperm DNA damage.Methods:Semen samples were collected from men undergoing infertility screening (n=7) and healthy donors (n=6).Mature spermatozoa were isolated and incubated with 5 mmol/L β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) for up to 24 h to induce ROS.Sperm morphology was evaluated using strict Tygerberg's criteria and the SDI.ROS levels and DNA damage were assessed using chemiluminescence and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated fluorescein- dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays,respectively.Results:SDI values (median [interquartiles]) were higher in patients than donors (2 [1.8,2.1] vs.1.53 [1.52,1.58],P=0.008).Aliquots treated with NADPH showed higher ROS levels (1.22 [0.30,1.87] vs.0.39 [0.10,0.57],P=0.03) and higher incidence of DNA damage than those not treated (10 [4.69,24.85] vs.3.85 [2.58,5.10],P=0.008).Higher DNA damage was also seen following 24 h of incubation in patients compared to donors.SDI correlated with the percentage increase in sperm DNA damage following incubation for 24 h in samples treated with NADPH (r=0.7,P=0.008) and controls (r=0.58,P=0.04). Conclusion:SDI may be a useful tool in identifying potential infertile males with abnormal prevalence of oxidative stress (OS)-induced DNA damage.NADPH plays a role in ROS-mediated sperm DNA damage,which appears to be more evident in infertile patients with semen samples containing a high incidence of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa.

The positive influence the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas has had on Africa programs

A recent article Is onchocerciasis elimination in Africa feasible by 2025:a perspective based on lessons learnt from the African control programmesH in Infectious Diseases of Poverty claimed that undue influence on African programs by concepts developed by the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas(OEPA)is detrimental to stopping mass drug administration(MDA)in Africa.This claim is made despite a record year for MDA stoppage in four African countries of>3.5 million treatments in 2018,far exceeding any past OEPA or African Program for Onchocerciasis Control(APOC)stop MDA success.