Oxidative Stress and Lipidomics in Male Infertility

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Infertility is a common problem, affecting perhaps one couple in six, the majority of whom now seek medical care. It is becoming a social challenge because it is responsible for personal and interpersonal discomfort and anxiety. A major obstacle to meaningful study of the epidemiology of male infertility is the difficulty in accurate diagnosis of the presence or absence of a problem. Traditionally, the diagnosis of male infertility is facilitated by the conventional assessment of the semen profile - constructed according to recognized guidelines (i.e. WHO) and including pH, cell count and motility - but no specific biomarkers are available. We sought to determine the oxysterol and fatty acid lipidome with the ai of finding a lipid biomarker useful for the diagnosis of male infertility.

Detailed Description
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Subjects referring to an outpatient infertility laboratory will be enrolled in the study. A complete clinical record is collected as well as a sperm and a fasting blood sample. Patients are stratified according to current guidelines focusing on sperm and anatomical characteristics. Sperm characteristics will be studied on fresh samples immediately after collection; blood samples will be centrifuged and plasma stored at -80°C until analysis that include routine glucose and lipid profile by commercial kits. Vitamin E (alpha- and gamma-tocopherol), oxysterols profiling, and fatty acids profiling is analyzed by state of the art gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using isotope dilution methods.

Official Title
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Oxidative Stress, Vitamin E and Lipidomics in Seminal Fluid as Potential Link to Infertility

Conditions
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Male Infertility

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: clinically healthy subjects and clinical healthy subjects with infertility Exclusion Criteria: subjects with endocrine, cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory and neurologic diseases or cancer subjects taking medicines and/or supplements

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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Male

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Halthy controls<br>Subjects not affected by any disease and with normal seminal fluid characteristics | |
| Oligospermia<br>Infertile subjects with oligospermia | |
| Varicocele<br>Infertile subjects with varicocele | |
| Asthenospermia<br>Infertile subjects with asthenospermia | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Oxysterol profiling in seminal fluid | Oxysterol profiling will be assessed in seminal fluid by state of the art GC/MS | 1 day | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fatty acids lipidomics | Profiling of fatty acids in seminal fluid will be assessed by GC/MS | 1 day | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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oxidative stress, oxysterols, fatty acids, seminal fluid