Characteristics of Semen Parameters among Iraqi Men at different ages presenting to ICSI Procedure

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate a relationship between age and reduction in semen parameter used for Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in Iraqi males population.
Method: Eighty four infertile men enrolled in this study; all of them were presented to the Reproduction and Infertility Unit in Kamal AL- Samarrai hospital / Baghdad from September 2020 through April2021. In this study, all patient charts were reviewed for age, infertility etiology, smoking and semen characteristics. At day of ICSI , semen specimen was taken and analyzed . Semen analysis parameters were compared between different age groups (n=19, 25-31 yr), (n= 40, 32-40yr), (n= 18, 41-50yr) and (n= 7, 5160yr) years using least significant difference –LSD and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) between parameters.
Results: Our patient had seminal volume within normal rang and we notice a noticeable decrease with age but there was no significant differences amongst different ages group (P>0.05). PH were significantly increase in 1st group of age (P<0.05) in comparison with 3rd group (7.63 ±0.05 vs7.48 ±0.03 respectively). Asthenozoospermia (having an overall reduced sperm motility below the 40%) was shown in all men at different ages, in addition, we noted the non-progressive motility of sperm (Grade C) in group of age 41-50 years were significantly lower differences in comparison to the group of age 25-31 years (12.50 ±2.46 vs. 20.13 ±2.64 respectively, P<0.05).Immotile of sperm (Grade D) were increases in all groups of ages. High percentage of Teratozoospermia (disrupted morphology more than 70%) was showed in all groups but without significant. Although there is no statically significant in sperm concentration between four groups of ages but we noted that sperm concentration was positively correlated with PH, sperm motility grad A, grade B and grade C, (It was negatively associated with sperm motility grade D) and sperm abnormality.
Conclusion: Our observations emphasize the men with these finding on semen analysis alone will predict to be infertile. Such data will be useful in helping physicians counsel patients with adequate percentage motility (>40%) and normal morphology, to proceed with ICSI as the initial assisted reproductive procedure to enhance the likelihood of good outcomes.