Sperm DNA Fragmentation Index Relationship with Some Heavy Metals in Seminal Fluid of Infertile Men in Suez Canal University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study

Introduction: Infertility affect between 8 and 12% of couples worldwide. Males are found to be solely responsible for 20-30% of infertility cases but contribute to 50% of cases overall. There are several factors affect male infertility one of them is heavy metals which considered a gonadotoxin and have bad impact on male fertility through affecting spermatogenesis and hormonal balance required for optimum sperm production. Aim of work: To demonstrate the effect of environmental exposure of some heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) on fertility and proper protection from its hazardous effect. Methods: A Cross-sectional analytical study has been conducted, that included two groups of patients. Group I: Infertile males with oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia and or teratozoospermia group II: fertile men with proven fertility whose partners had conceived spontaneously. Semen samples had been collected after 3-5 days of abstinence and semen analysis had been performed according to the WHO laboratory manual 2021. Sperms DNA fragmentation had been assessed using aniline blue staining method. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) had been used to detect cadmium, mercury, arsenic and lead amounts in seminal plasma of all participants.Results:There is statistically significant positive correlation between levels of lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury in seminal plasma among infertile group and level of sperm DNA fragmentation.Conclusion: heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury had significant bad effect on sperm DNA fragmentation which in turn contributes in male infertility.