A Clinical Evaluation of Semen Quality Using the MiOXSYS™ System 2.0

Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance in the redox system in favor of the activity of reactive oxygen species and other free radicals. It is also dependent upon the biological system's ability to detoxify these oxidative compounds through the application of antioxidants and other reductants. Disturbances in the normal redox state can cause adverse effects on cells including protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and DNA fragmentation.

Male infertility has been associated with oxidative stress. Higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been found in semen from men with low sperm count and motility, and poor sperm morphology, suggesting an imbalance in the redox system and an opportunity to use oxidative stress as a biomarker for semen quality. While several methods are available for measuring oxidative stress, they are not being implemented routinely in semen analysis likely because they are arduous and typically reflect only one side of the redox balance- oxidant activity.

A quick and all-inclusive measure of oxidative stress that could be used in a diagnostic setting (academic, hospital, clinical or reference laboratory) is the measure of static oxidation reduction potential (sORP) ; sORP reflects an integrated measure of the redox balance taking into account the activity of all oxidants (i.e. ROS, reactive nitrogen species, transition metal ions) and all antioxidants (i.e. small molecule antioxidants like ascorbate and enzymatic antioxidants like glutathione). Because sORP values are an integrated measures of both sides of the redox balance, sORP levels could be an identifying characteristic of semen quality.

The MiOXSYS System measures the redox balance by measuring sORP values. The MiOXSYS test results is used in conjunction with the established WHO semen analysis parameters. Previous studies suggest that increases in sORP are associated with lower sperm numbers, fewer motile sperm, and more abnormal sperm morphologies. The advantage of the MiOXSYS System is that sORP measures take into account both the oxidant and antioxidant sides of the redox balance, providing a rapid measure of oxidative stress, all with no sample preparation.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the MiOXSYS System as it measures sORP in semen samples with various degrees of semen quality. The MiOXSYS System is comprised of the MiOXSYS Analyzer and disposable, single-use MiOXSYS Sensors. Thirty microliters (30 uL) of neat semen is required for each test. sORP results from each semen sample will be compared to their corresponding results on the WHO semen analysis parameters (5th Edition Laboratory Manual for the Examination and Processing of Human Semen \[2010\]), which is the current methods for assessing semen quality.