Abstract
Aim: The aim of the study was to compare the frequency of numerical abnormalities for chromosomes X, Y, 13, 15,16, 18, 21 and 22 in men with spinal cord injury to aneuplodia frequency results in normospermic control group of healthy volunteers using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Method: Eleven men (aged 21-41 years, average +- SEM: 36.2 +- 11.9) with anejaculation after transversal spinal cord lesions were included into study between 2010 and 2011.
Testicular tissue samples with sperms were obtained by microsurgical retrieval and subsequently analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The results were compared with control group of 10 healthy volunteers (aged 26-58 years, average +- SEM: 37.2 +- 13.1) with proved normospermia from ejaculate obtained by masturbation.
Results: We examined 2613 sperms obtained from testicular tissue in men with spinal cord injury. We found on average 2.95 % of disomic sperms and 4.90 % of diploid sperms for observed chromosomes.
Median was 3.54 and 1.63, resp., which shows a larger inter-individual variability in diploid sperm frequency. We examined at least 5000 sperms in each normospermic volunteer.
We found 0.62 % of disomic sperms and 0.29 % of diploid sperms (median 1.38 and 0.26, resp.) for observed chromosomes. The frequency of numerical chromosome aberrations was statistically significantly higher in men with spinal cord injury compared with the control group (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: The study results show high incidence of numerical chromosome aberrations in men with transversal spinal lesion and prove need for genetic work up prior to assisted reproduction.