Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28078226›Full record

ReviewTranslational andrology and urology2016

Clinical utility of sperm DNA fragmentation testing: practice recommendations based on clinical scenarios.

Ashok Agarwal, Ahmad Majzoub, Sandro C Esteves, Edmund Ko, Ranjith Ramasamy, Armand Zini

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Translational andrology and urology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 228 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
228citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

228 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Antioxidants for male subfertility.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019
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  14. The role of sperm DNA fragmentation in reproduction: a SWOT analysis.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2025
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168 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ashok AgarwalAmerican Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Ahmad MajzoubDepartment of Urology, Glickman Urological and kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Sandro C EstevesANDROFERT, Andrology and Human Reproduction Clinic, Referral Center for Male Reproduction, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
Edmund KoDepartment of Urology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA.
Ranjith RamasamyDepartment of Urology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
Armand ZiniDepartment of Urology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has been generally acknowledged as a valuable tool for male fertility evaluation. While its detrimental implications on sperm function were extensively investigated, little is known about the actual indications for performing SDF analysis. This review delivers practice based recommendations on commonly encountered scenarios in the clinic. An illustrative description of the different SDF measurement techniques is presented. SDF testing is recommended in patients with clinical varicocele and borderline to normal semen parameters as it can better select varicocelectomy candidates. High SDF is also linked with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) and can influence outcomes of different assisted reproductive techniques. Several studies have shown some benefit in using testicular sperm rather than ejaculated sperm in men with high SDF, oligozoospermia or recurrent in vitro fertilization (IVF) failure. Infertile men with evidence of exposure to pollutants can benefit from sperm DNA testing as it can help reinforce the importance of lifestyle modification (e.g., cessation of cigarette smoking, antioxidant therapy), predict fertility and monitor the patient's response to intervention.

Indexed as

assisted reproductive technology (ART)male infertilitySperm DNA fragmentation (SDF)unexplained infertilityvaricocele

Identifiers

PMID28078226
PMCPMC5182232

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.