[Influence of varicocele on sperm chromatin structure and sperm motility].

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of varicocele on sperm chromatin structure and sperm motility. METHODS: Routine semen analysis and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) were performed in a varicocele group (n=74) and a control group (n=89). RESULTS: Sperm concentration (41.4 +/- 38.7] x 10(6)/ml) grade a+b sperm percentage ([31.7 +/- 16.9]% and sperm viability ([62.8 +/- 22.2]%) in the varicocele group were evidently lower than those ([80.9 +/- 63.1] x 10(6)/ml, [46.8 +/- 20.5]%, [77.2 +/- 17.5])% in the control group (P < 0.05) and so were VCL, VSL and VAP ([37.4 +/- 12.5 microm/s, [23.4 +/- 7.8] microm/s, [26.5 +/- 8.2] microm/s) in the varicocele group than those ([42.4 +/- 10.7] microm/s, [27.3 +/- 7.3] microm/s, [30.7 +/- 7.8] microm/s) in the control (P < 0.05). MAD was increased (P < 0.01), and the COMP alphat of SCSA (23.2 +/-16.2) was obviously higher in the former than in the latter (14.1 +/- 11.8) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Varicocele causes damage to sperm DNA and changes sperm motility, which may result in male infertility.