Despite advances in the field of male reproductive health, idiopathic male infertility, in which a man has altered semen characteristics without an identifiable cause and there is no female factor infertility, remains a challenging condition to diagnose and manage. Increasing evidence suggests that oxidative stress (OS) plays an independent role in the etiology of male infertility, with 30% to 80% of infertile men having elevated seminal reactive oxygen species levels. OS can negatively affect fertility via a number of pathways, including interference with capacitation and possible damage to sperm membrane and DNA, which may impair the sperm's potential to fertilize an egg and develop into a healthy embryo. Adequate evaluation of male reproductive potential should therefore include an assessment of sperm OS. We propose the term Male Oxidative Stress Infertility, or MOSI, as a novel descriptor for infertile men with abnormal semen characteristics and OS, including many patients who were previously classified as having idiopathic male infertility. Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) can be a useful clinical biomarker for the classification of MOSI, as it takes into account the levels of both oxidants and reductants (antioxidants). Current treatment protocols for OS, including the use of antioxidants, are not evidence-based and have the potential for complications and increased healthcare-related expenditures. Utilizing an easy, reproducible, and cost-effective test to measure ORP may provide a more targeted, reliable approach for administering antioxidant therapy while minimizing the risk of antioxidant overdose. With the increasing awareness and understanding of MOSI as a distinct male infertility diagnosis, future research endeavors can facilitate the development of evidence-based treatments that target its underlying cause.

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This is the first report of a recessive deleterious mutation in in humans. The clinical phenotype recapitulates that observed in the knockout mice where this gene was demonstrated to participate in long interspersed element-1 retrotransposon silencing. If this function is preserved in human, our data underscore the importance of maintaining DNA stability in the human male germ line.

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In cases of cryptozoospermia, frozen-thawed ejaculated sperm is inferior to fresh ejaculated sperm in fertilization rates. However, in nonobstructive azoospermia, no major differences were found between fresh and frozen-thawed testicular sperm. Therefore, uncoupled TESE/oocyte pick-up (OPU) should be considered in NOA cases to prevent possible unnecessary ovarian stimulation and OPU when no sperm cells are detected.

This prospective repeated measures study was designed to examine the cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentrations during ovarian stimulation and the relationship between cfDNA concentration and pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF-embryo transfer. The study examined 37 women undergoing IVF treatment in an IVF unit in a university medical centre in southern Israel. cfDNA concentrations were measured by a direct fluorescence assay, pregnancy rates were identified by plasma β human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) concentrations and verified by vaginal ultrasound to determine gestational sac and fetal heart beats. Throughout the IVF cycle, at the three time points measured, the mean concentration of plasma cfDNA among all participants did not statistically significantly change. However, on the day of βHCG test in patients undergoing IVF-embryo transfer, plasma cfDNA concentrations were statistically significantly higher among women who did not conceive in comparison to those who conceived. Plasma cfDNA may reflect the presence of factors which interfere with embryo implantation. Further research is required to determine the usefulness of cfDNA as a biomarker of IVF outcome and to examine the underlying pathologies as potential sources for increased plasma cfDNA concentrations. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is particles of DNA which are released from the cell nucleus and are found in high concentrations during a variety of illnesses and injuries. This study was designed to examine the cfDNA concentrations during IVF treatment and the relationship between cfDNA concentration in the bloodstream and pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF. This study examined 37 women in treatment at the IVF unit of the University Medical Centre in southern Israel. cfDNA concentrations in the bloodstream were measured at three time points by a direct test. Pregnancy rates were identified by pregnancy hormone concentrations in the bloodstream and verified by vaginal ultrasound to determine a pregnancy sac and fetal heart beats. Throughout the IVF cycle, at the three time points measured, the average concentration of cfDNA among all participants did not change. However, on the day of the pregnancy test, blood cfDNA concentrations were significantly higher among women who were not pregnant in comparison to those who were. Plasma cfDNA may reflect the presence of factors which interfere with embryo implantation. Further research is required to determine the usefulness of cfDNA as a biological marker of IVF outcome and examine underlying illnesses and problems as potentials sources for increased cfDNA concentrations.