Scholarlink

Background <p>Sperm morphology assessment remains a routine component of semen analysis, yet its relationship with sperm DNA fragmentation at the level of individual morphological indices is incompletely characterised. This study evaluated correlations between the Teratozoospermia Index (TZI), Sperm Deformity Index (SDI), and Multiple Anomalies Index (MAI) with the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI), deriving exploratory thresholds to identify men at risk of elevated DNA fragmentation (DFI &gt; 20%).</p> Methods <p>A retrospective analysis was conducted on 135 semen samples from men aged 20–55 years attending a university andrology centre. Morphology was assessed on Papanicolaou-stained smears; TZI, SDI, and MAI were calculated manually. DNA fragmentation was measured using the GC-SCD-20 kit. Pearson correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with Youden-optimised thresholds were performed.</p> Results <p>All three indices showed statistically significant, weak positive correlations with DFI: TZI (<i>r</i> = 0.263, <i>p</i> = 0.001), SDI (<i>r</i> = 0.290, <i>p</i> = 0.004), and MAI (<i>r</i> = 0.371, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated modest discriminatory performance: AUC values of 0.645, 0.620, and 0.680 respectively. At thresholds of TZI &gt; 1.85, SDI &gt; 2.42, and MAI &gt; 2.53, sensitivity ranged from 82% to 90% with specificity of 44–53%.</p> Conclusion <p>TZI, SDI, and MAI correlate weakly but significantly with DFI and demonstrate a high-sensitivity, low-specificity screening profile. These thresholds are exploratory, derived from a single cohort, and require prospective validation in larger independent studies before clinical application. They should be regarded as adjunctive tools within routine semen analysis and cannot substitute for direct DNA fragmentation testing.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Sperm morphology indices as exploratory screening tools for elevated DNA fragmentation: a single-centre correlation and threshold derivation study

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月18日

查看全文
  • Abhishek Ramakrishnan,
  • Peter Osvath,
  • Rudolf Gesztelyi,
  • Csaba Csikos,
  • Bela Juhasz,
  • Aniko Pósa,
  • Miklos Szücs

摘要

Background

Sperm morphology assessment remains a routine component of semen analysis, yet its relationship with sperm DNA fragmentation at the level of individual morphological indices is incompletely characterised. This study evaluated correlations between the Teratozoospermia Index (TZI), Sperm Deformity Index (SDI), and Multiple Anomalies Index (MAI) with the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI), deriving exploratory thresholds to identify men at risk of elevated DNA fragmentation (DFI > 20%).

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 135 semen samples from men aged 20–55 years attending a university andrology centre. Morphology was assessed on Papanicolaou-stained smears; TZI, SDI, and MAI were calculated manually. DNA fragmentation was measured using the GC-SCD-20 kit. Pearson correlation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with Youden-optimised thresholds were performed.

Results

All three indices showed statistically significant, weak positive correlations with DFI: TZI (r = 0.263, p = 0.001), SDI (r = 0.290, p = 0.004), and MAI (r = 0.371, p < 0.001). ROC analysis demonstrated modest discriminatory performance: AUC values of 0.645, 0.620, and 0.680 respectively. At thresholds of TZI > 1.85, SDI > 2.42, and MAI > 2.53, sensitivity ranged from 82% to 90% with specificity of 44–53%.

Conclusion

TZI, SDI, and MAI correlate weakly but significantly with DFI and demonstrate a high-sensitivity, low-specificity screening profile. These thresholds are exploratory, derived from a single cohort, and require prospective validation in larger independent studies before clinical application. They should be regarded as adjunctive tools within routine semen analysis and cannot substitute for direct DNA fragmentation testing.