Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25392073›Full record

SynthesisJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2015

Sperm DNA fragmentation index and pregnancy outcome after IVF or ICSI: a meta-analysis.

Zheng Zhang, Leilei Zhu, Hesong Jiang, Hai Chen, Yun Chen, Yutian Dai

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 53 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
53citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
6.8field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

53 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 99 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Antioxidants for male subfertility.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Antioxidants for male subfertility.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Comparing Methods for Sperm DNA Fragmentation Detection.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026
    Review
  11. Sperm Selection Procedures in Cases of High Sperm DNA Fragmentation Index.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026
    Review
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Fertility.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2025
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Zheng ZhangDepartment of Andrology, Drum tower Hospital, Nanjing University, #321 Zhong Shan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China, 13770864680@163.com.
Leilei Zhu
Hesong Jiang
Hai Chen
Yun Chen
Yutian Dai
Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital · CNNanjing University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose of this study was to carry out a meta-analysis for a comprehensive understanding and estimation of the association between sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) and pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment.

methodsStudies concerning the link of DFI with pregnancy outcome were included after literature search of database PUBMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE. Related information was extracted from the eligible studies by two independent authors and a meta-analysis was conducted by using STATA 12.0 software. Pregnancy outcomes consisted of biochemical pregnancy (BP), clinical pregnancy (CP) and pregnancy loss (PL). The studies included for meta-analysis were divided into three groups according to the DFI threshold value (DFI >27 %, 15-27 %, ≤15 % group). The odds ratio (OR ) and their 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) were used to evaluate the association between DFI and pregnancy outcome.

resultsTwenty articles were included in our meta-analysis. The results indicated that infertile couples were more likely to get pregnant if DFI was less than threshold value (For threshold value > 27 % and 15-27 % group, combined overall OR (95 % CI) = 1.437 (1.186-1.742), 1.639 (1.093-2.459) respectively). However, when stratified by DFI detection methods, using sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) as the DFI test method, the results indicated a similar CP rate between groups with a high DFI or a lower DFI value (SCSA, For threshold value >27 % and 15-27 % group, combined overall OR (95 % CI) = 1.242(0.978-1.577), 1.480(0.921-2.377) respectively). The meta-analysis based on BP (overall OR (95 % CI) = 0.952 (0.697-1.302)) and PL((For DFI >27 %, 15-27 %, ≤15 % group, OR (95 % CI) = 0.786 (0.491-1.258), 1.509 (0.655-3.476), (0.538 (0.264-1.097) respectively) outcome yielded nonsignificant results.

conclusionsThe predication value of DFI for IVF or ICSI outcome is not confirmed in our meta-analysis. Further better designed studies with larger subjects involved are needed to better address this issue.

Indexed as

DNA FragmentationFertilization in VitroSperm Injections, IntracytoplasmicFemaleHumansInfertilityMalePregnancyPregnancy OutcomePregnancy RateSpermatozoa

Identifiers

PMID25392073
PMCPMC4294868
OpenAlexW1976197226

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.