SynthesisGenes2023
Telomere Length, a New Biomarker of Male (in)Fertility? A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Synthesis in Genes, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Relative Telomere Length in Leukocytes as a Potential Biomarker of Male Idiopathic Infertility.Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine · 2025Article
- Exploring the Mechanisms of Testicular Aging: Advances in Biomarker Research.Aging and disease · 2025Review
- Exploring the Link Between Telomeres and Mitochondria: Mechanisms and Implications in Different Cell Types.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Idiopathic male infertility - what are we missing?Arab journal of urology · 2025Article
- Evaluation of telomere length and telomerase activity on predicting in vitro fertilization treatment outcomes.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2024Review
- Reduced SIRT1 and SIRT3 and Lower Antioxidant Capacity of Seminal Plasma Is Associated with Shorter Sperm Telomere Length in Oligospermic Men.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Involvement of Inheritance in Determining Telomere Length beyond Environmental and Lifestyle Factors.Aging and disease · 2023Review
- Telomere Dynamics in Livestock.Biology · 2023Review
- Telomere Length in Human Spermatogenic Cells as a New Potential Predictor of Clinical Outcomes in ART Treatment with Intracytoplasmic Injection of Testicular Spermatozoa.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Freezing Does Not Alter Sperm Telomere Length despite Increasing DNA Oxidation and Fragmentation.Genes · 2023Article
- Male Germ Cell Telomeres and Chemical Pollutants.Biomolecules · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Male factors are suspected in around half cases of infertility, of which up to 40% are diagnosed as idiopathic. In the context of a continuously increased resort to ART and increased decline of semen parameters, it is of greatest interest to evaluate an additional potential biomarker of sperm quality. According to PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review of the literature selected studies evaluating telomere length in sperm and/or in leukocytes as a potential male fertility biomarker. Twenty-two publications (3168 participants) were included in this review of experimental evidence. For each study, authors determined if there was a correlation between telomere length and semen parameters or fertility outcomes. Of the 13 studies concerning sperm telomere length (STL) and semen parameters, ten found an association between short STL and altered parameters. Concerning the impact of STL on ART results, the data are conflicting. However, eight of the 13 included studies about fertility found significantly longer sperm telomeres in fertile men than in infertile men. In leukocytes, the seven studies reported conflicting findings. Shorter sperm telomeres appear to be associated with altered semen parameters or male infertility. Telomere length may be considered as a new molecular marker of spermatogenesis and sperm quality, and thus is related to male fertility potential. However, additional studies are needed to define the place of the STL in the assessment of individual fertility.
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Registered trials
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.