Thesis (MScMedSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The basic semen analysis plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis of male infertility and makes a significant contribution to the diagnostic process in andrology, gynecology and clinical urology. In 1902, the man considered to be ―the founding father of modern andrology‖ Edward Martin, proposed that an analysis of a semen sample should be incorporated into all infertility assessments. Following this suggestion in 1956, the scientist John MacLeod advanced the basic semen analysis from beyond a mere observation and introduced the importance of certain semen parameters such as morphology, motility and viscosity.
The present day examination includes the analysis of certain established semen parameters, which can provide key information about the quality of a patient‘s semen and the functional competence of the spermatozoa. A semen analysis is also a valuable diagnostic tool in assessing possible disorders of the male genital tract and the secretory pattern of the male accessory sex glands. This information can help to determine the reproductive capacity of the male and can be used in conjunction with the partner to indicate the impact of male genital pathophysiology in the assessment of a couple‘s prospect for fertility.
Patients attending the andrology laboratory at Tygerberg Academic Hospital for a semen analysis are referred based on primary, secondary or idiopathic infertility. Amongst these patients, an increase in semen viscosity has been observed over a period of time and created the need to assess the possible causes behind this trend. Despite viscosity being included in a routine spermiogram, it raises a considerable amount of concern as it is assessed semi-quantitatively.
In the first part of this study, the possible correlation between seminal hyperviscosity and leukocytospermia was assessed. To achieve the most comprehensive assessment of viscosity, a new approach was used, which is a highly quantitative method to record viscosity in the international unit, centipoise (cP). The analysis of semen samples for possible leukocytospermia was approached by three methods the first of which was cytological. During this method granulocyte grading was performed on stained semen smears during the normal determination of morphology. The same approach was taken for the second method, whereby white blood cell concentrations were quantified with a leukocyte peroxidase test in the total sample group (n=200). Viscosity was compared between the samples classified as leukocytospermic positive or negative, according to the set reference values of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Correlation analysis between the two variables was also performed. In the biochemical approach of detecting leukocytospermia, an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA) was used to quantify the concentration of the extracellular polymorphonuclear (PMN) enzyme released from leukocytes. This test was performed on 124 randomly selected samples. All samples were fractionated before storage in liquid nitrogen, to allow for multiple assessments to be performed on each sample. The PMN elastase concentration was assessed against viscosity to investigate a possible correlation and relationship with the presence of leukocytospermia. All three methods of detecting possible infection showed a significantly positive relationship with increased viscosity in semen samples. The second approach in the study was to assess increased viscosity and leukocytospermia against parameters included in the spermiogram. An evaluation of hyperviscosity and its correlations to the various other semen parameters can allow for a detailed study into the effects that this anomaly may elicit. With the assessment of each of the sperm parameters against the leukocyte count and viscosity (cP), volume, concentration and morphology showed significance.
To further the study, the third angle was to investigate a possible correlation between viscosity and the functional status of the male accessory sex glands. The biochemical approach of assessing the secretory patterns of the prostate and seminal vesicles against markers of infection can possibly further the understanding behind hyperviscous semen and leukocytospermia. Citric acid and fructose, secretory products of the prostate and seminal vesicles respectively, showed no significance when assessed against the leukocyte count and viscosity. However, this project was a pilot study and this approach offers an exciting avenue for further research. These research findings may provide a more comprehensive assessment of a man‘s fertility status. Seen in the context of patients attending the andrology laboratory of Tygerberg Academic Hospital, this is greatly needed as the majority of these patients cannot afford advanced assisted reproductive therapies. The introduction of a more accurate method of quantifying viscosity may possibly help to identify, diagnose and treat patients suffering from leukocytospermia in order to ultimately enhance their fertility potential. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die basiese semenanalise speel 'n belangrike rol in die diagnose van manlike infertiliteit en maak dus 'n betekenisvolle bydrae tot die diagnostiese proses in andrologie, ginekologie en kliniese urologie. In 1902 het Edward Martin, wat deur sommige navorsers as die vader van moderne andrologie beskou word, voorgestel dat 'n semenanalise deel moet vorm van alle infertiliteitsondersoeke. In 1956 het die wetenskaplike John MacLeod aanvoorwerk gedoen om die grondslag van 'n basiese semenanalise daar te stel, wat beteken het dat, in plaas van net 'n observasie studie te doen, 'n semenmonster kwantitatief analiseer moes word en dat parameters soos spermmorfologie, motiliteit en viskositeit as deel van die volledige analise gedoen moet word.
Die hedendaagse analise sluit, behalwe die basiese semenparameters, ook inligting in oor die funksionele aspekte van spermatozoa. Die semenanalise is dus ook ‗n belangrike diagnostiese hulpmiddel om inligting rakende moontlike abnormaliteite in die manlike genitale traktus en die sekretoriese funksies van die manlike bykomstige geslagskliere te verskaf. Hierdie inligting kan help om 'n moontlike diagnose van die man se fertiliteitspotensiaal te maak. Terselftertyd kan dit ook tesame met die metgesel se reproduktiewe inligting meer lig werp op die impak van die man se genitale patofisiologie op die paartjie se fertilitetspotensiaal.
Pasiënte wat die andrologielaboratorium van die Tygerberg Akademiese Hospitaal besoek word verwys op grond van primêre, sekondêre of idopatiese infertiliteit. Gedurende die laaste aantal jare is daar ‗n toename in voorkoms van verhoogde semenviskositeit onder hierdie groep pasiënte waargeneem. Dit het die behoefte laat ontstaan om die moontlike redes hiervoor te ondersoek. Ten spyte van die feit dat viskositeit deel vorm van die roetine semenanalise is dit tog kommerwekkend aangesien dit op 'n semi-kwantitatiewe manier bepaal word.
In die eerste deel van hierdie studie is 'n moontlik korrelasie tussen seminale hiperviskositeit en leukositospermie ondersoek. Om die beste moontlike verwantskap te kon bepaal is 'n nuwe en hoogs kwantitatiewe metode gebruik om viskositeit in numeriese waardes volgens internasionale standaarde in centipoise (cP) te meet. Daar is van drie metodes gebruik gemaak om die teenwoordigheid van leukositospermie in 'n semenmonster te ondersoek. Die eerste metode was die sitologiese metode waar die teenwoordigheid van granulosiet op die gekleurde semensmeer tydens die standaard morfologie beoordeling bepaal word. Die tweede was deur middel van 'n leukosietperoksidase toets waarmee daar 'n kwantitatiewe telling gedoen kan word, soos teenwoordig in 'n voorbereide semenmonster. Hierdie twee bepalings is op die totale studiepopulasie van 200 pasiënte gedoen. Die viskositeit van monsters met of sonder die teenwoordigheid van leukositospermie, soos bepaal met die voorafgaande metodes en gebaseer op die WGO riglyne, is met mekaar vergelyk. Korrelasies is ook tussen hierdie twee veranderlikes en verskeie semenparameters van hierdie twee groepe gedoen. Die derde metode was 'n biochemiese ontleding met behulp van 'n ensiemgekoppeldeimmuunsorberende essai (ELISA) vir die bepaling van die ekstrasellulêre konsentrasie van polimorfonukleêre (PMN) elastase ensiem in die seminale plasma. Hierdie toets is op 124 lukraak gekose semenmonsters uitgevoer. Alle monsters is gefraksioneer voor berging in vloeibare stikstof om meervoudige analises van elke monster moontlik te maak. Die PMN elastase konsentrasies is vergelyk met die viskositeit van die semenmonsters vir 'n moontlike korrelasie en verwantskap met die teenwoordigheid van leukositospermie. Die resultate van al drie hierdie metodes, vir die moontlike bepaling van infeksie, het 'n betekenisvolle positiewe verwantskap met die toename in graad van viskositeit in semenmonsters aangetoon. Die tweede benadering van hierdie studie was om die viskositeitsgradering en die kwantitatiewe leukositopermie waardes te vergelyk met die semenparameters wat bepaal is tydens die semenanalise. Die doel van hierdie benadering was om enige verwantskap of effek van viskositeit asook die teenwoordigheid van witbloedselle op die semenparameters te ondersoek. Daar is betekenisvolle verwantskappe gevind tussen die viskositeitstatus van 'n semenmonster, die teenwoordigheid van witbloedselle en die semenparameters, soos motiliteit, morfologie en spermatosoa konsentrasie. Die derde benadering was om 'n ondersoek te doen na die moontlike verwantskap tussen viskositeit en die sekretoriese funksies van die manlike bykomstige geslagskliere, te wete die prostaat en seminale vesikula. Die biochemiese ondersoek na die sekresies van hierdie twee organe, naamlik fruktose en sitroensuur, is gedoen om te bepaal of die teenwoordigheid van infeksies van die manlike traktus, en waargeneem as leukositospermia, ook in verband gebring kan word met die viskositeitstatus van 'n semenmonster. Daar is geen verband gevind tussen die sekresies van hierdie twee kliere en die viskositeit van die semenmonsters nie. Aangesien hierdie deel van die studie net as 'n loodsprojek beskou is, is die biochemiese bepalings slegs op 'n beperkte aantal semenmonsters uitgevoer en kan hierdie tipe ondersoek as 'n moontlike verdere studie onderneem word.
Hierdie navorsingsresultate kan lei tot ‗n meer omvattende assessering van mans se fertiliteitstatus. Dit is uiters noodsaaklik in die konteks van omstandighede van die pasiënte wat die andrologielaboratorium van die Tygerberg Akademiese Hospitaal besoek aangesien die meerderheid nie gevorderde in vitro behandeling kan bekostig nie. Die akkurate bepaling van 'n semenmonster se viskositeit kan dus moontlik waarde toevoeg tot die identifisering, diagnose en behandeling van pasiënte met leukositospermie om sodoende hulle fertiliteitspotensiaal te verbeter.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20167 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Flint, Margot |
| Contributors | Menkveld, Roelof, Du Plessis, Stefan, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 117 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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