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The impact of testicular carcinoma and its treatment on sperm DNA integrity

Ståhl, Olof LU ; Eberhard, Jakob LU ; Jepson, Katarina ; Spano, Marcello ; Cwikiel, Magdalena LU ; Cavallin-Ståhl, Eva LU and Giwercman, Aleksander LU (2004) In Cancer 100(6). p.1137-1144
Abstract

BACKGROUND: In patients with testicular germ cell carcinoma (TGCC), spermatogenesis and fertility are impaired. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection has improved their possibility of fatherhood, but might also impose a risk of transmitting DNA defects to the offspring. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy and irradiation on sperm DNA integrity.

METHODS: The study included 74 patients with TGCC. Semen samples were collected before and at specific time points after patients received therapy. Sperm DNA integrity was assessed by the sperm chromatin structure assay. Controls comprised 278 military conscripts.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the fraction of sperm with fragmented DNA... (More)

BACKGROUND: In patients with testicular germ cell carcinoma (TGCC), spermatogenesis and fertility are impaired. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection has improved their possibility of fatherhood, but might also impose a risk of transmitting DNA defects to the offspring. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy and irradiation on sperm DNA integrity.

METHODS: The study included 74 patients with TGCC. Semen samples were collected before and at specific time points after patients received therapy. Sperm DNA integrity was assessed by the sperm chromatin structure assay. Controls comprised 278 military conscripts.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the fraction of sperm with fragmented DNA (DNA fragmentation index [DFI]) between controls and patients with TGCC before postoperative cancer treatment (11% vs. 13%). Men treated with adjuvant radiotherapy had a transiently (up to 2 years) higher DFI than nontreated patients (18% vs. 13%; P = 0.03). Patients who received 1-2 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy had a significantly lower DFI 6 months after treatment than after 1-2 years (9.1% vs. 13%; P = 0.004). Higher doses of chemotherapy among patients resulted in a significantly lower DFI compared with controls (7.3% vs. 11%; P = 0.028), which persisted throughout the 5 years of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: Postorchiectomy, the DFI in sperm samples from patients with testicular carcinoma was at the level of controls. Radiotherapy caused a transient increase in the proportion of DFI, whereas this value decreased after chemotherapy. The biologic implications of such changes in sperm DNA after cancer therapy need to be elucidated.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Cancer
volume
100
issue
6
pages
8 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • wos:000220195200005
  • scopus:1542314294
  • pmid:15022279
ISSN
1097-0142
DOI
10.1002/cncr.20068
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c9c29400-1b5c-4711-9ab9-2ec5f6eda479 (old id 121230)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15022279&dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:35:49
date last changed
2022-01-27 07:17:18
@article{c9c29400-1b5c-4711-9ab9-2ec5f6eda479,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: In patients with testicular germ cell carcinoma (TGCC), spermatogenesis and fertility are impaired. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection has improved their possibility of fatherhood, but might also impose a risk of transmitting DNA defects to the offspring. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of chemotherapy and irradiation on sperm DNA integrity.</p><p>METHODS: The study included 74 patients with TGCC. Semen samples were collected before and at specific time points after patients received therapy. Sperm DNA integrity was assessed by the sperm chromatin structure assay. Controls comprised 278 military conscripts.</p><p>RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the fraction of sperm with fragmented DNA (DNA fragmentation index [DFI]) between controls and patients with TGCC before postoperative cancer treatment (11% vs. 13%). Men treated with adjuvant radiotherapy had a transiently (up to 2 years) higher DFI than nontreated patients (18% vs. 13%; P = 0.03). Patients who received 1-2 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy had a significantly lower DFI 6 months after treatment than after 1-2 years (9.1% vs. 13%; P = 0.004). Higher doses of chemotherapy among patients resulted in a significantly lower DFI compared with controls (7.3% vs. 11%; P = 0.028), which persisted throughout the 5 years of follow-up.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Postorchiectomy, the DFI in sperm samples from patients with testicular carcinoma was at the level of controls. Radiotherapy caused a transient increase in the proportion of DFI, whereas this value decreased after chemotherapy. The biologic implications of such changes in sperm DNA after cancer therapy need to be elucidated.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ståhl, Olof and Eberhard, Jakob and Jepson, Katarina and Spano, Marcello and Cwikiel, Magdalena and Cavallin-Ståhl, Eva and Giwercman, Aleksander}},
  issn         = {{1097-0142}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1137--1144}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Cancer}},
  title        = {{The impact of testicular carcinoma and its treatment on sperm DNA integrity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cncr.20068}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/cncr.20068}},
  volume       = {{100}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}