Vitamin D and Human Sperm DNA Fragmentation

NCT ID: NCT03829943

Last Updated: 2020-10-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Total Enrollment: 230 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-03-21
• Study Completion Date: 2022-02-28

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study will be to investigate if there is a correlation between Vitamin D levels and Sperm DNA Fragmentation. This is a prospective, cohort study. In this study male participants presenting with their partners because of inability to conceive will be recruited for this study. Participants will have a blood sample drawn which will be tested for Vitamin D level. The investigators will then compare sperm DNA fragmentation between normal Vitamin D levels, Vitamin D insufficiency, and Vitamin D deficiency. All infertile males who present to the investigators' infertility clinic have a Semen analysis and Sperm chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA). The research part of the study will be to obtain the Vitamin D level.

Detailed Description

Vitamin D plays an important role in bone metabolism and has also been discovered to influence male reproduction. Vitamin D binds to the Vitamin D receptor which then can bind to Vitamin D response elements in the DNA which can alter transcription. By changing transcription it can have long term effects on cellular metabolism. Previous studies have demonstrated abnormalities in sperm motility and morphology in males who are Vitamin D deficient. The mechanism by which Vitamin D affects spermatogenesis (formation of sperm) is unknown. One possibly mechanism by which deficient Vitamin D may affect sperm formation is through DNA fragmentation. The head of the sperm contains all the DNA. When a sperm cell is made the DNA in the nucleus must be super compacted to accomplish sperm formation. To sufficiently compact the DNA, first the DNA is 'turned off' and then very tightly wound (or compacted) into toroids (like small tires) which are stacked one on top of another. During this process of compaction the DNA will occasionally break or fragment. The egg can repair the DNA fragmentation as long as there is not a large amount of breakage. If the DNA fragmentation exceeds a certain amount then fertilization and early development of the embryo may be adversely affected. DNA fragmentation can be tested by using the Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA), which the investigators currently measure in males who present with their partners with infertility. Previous studies have suggested that the abnormalities in sperm due to vitamin D deficiency may be related to increased DNA fragmentation. This study will assist in understanding the cause of sperm abnormalities in subjects with Vitamin D deficiency.

This is a prospective, cohort study. In this study male patients who present with inability to conceive will be asked to be involved in this study. After agreement with the study, a blood sample drawn which will be tested for Vitamin D level. The investigators will then compare sperm DNA fragmentation between normal Vitamin D levels, Vitamin D insufficiency, and Vitamin D deficiency. All infertile males presenting to the investigators' infertility clinic have a Semen analysis and Sperm chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA). The research part of the study will be to obtain the Vitamin D level.

Conditions

Infertility,Male; Vitamin D Deficiency

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Vitamin D deficiency

The study group will be males discovered to have Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Blood will be drawn for Vitamin D level

Control group

The control group will be males with normal Vitamin D status

Vitamin D

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Blood will be drawn for Vitamin D level

Interventions

Vitamin D

Blood will be drawn for Vitamin D level

Intervention Type: DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Male with diagnosis of infertility.

Exclusion Criteria

• Azoospermia

• Minimum Eligible Age: 21 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 56 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Sanford Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Keith Hansen

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Sanford Health Fertility and Reproductive Medicine

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Keith A Hansen, MD

Role: CONTACT

Keith.Hansen@SanfordHealth.org

6053288839

Angela Haldeman, RN

Role: CONTACT

Angela.Haldeman@SanfordHealth.org

6053288800

Facility Contacts

Keith Hansen, MD

Role: primary

keith.hansen@sanfordhealth.org

605-328-8829

Angela Haldeman, RN

Role: backup

angela.haldeman@sanfordhealth.org

605-328-8800

References

Blomberg Jensen M, Bjerrum PJ, Jessen TE, Nielsen JE, Joensen UN, Olesen IA, Petersen JH, Juul A, Dissing S, Jorgensen N. Vitamin D is positively associated with sperm motility and increases intracellular calcium in human spermatozoa. Hum Reprod. 2011 Jun;26(6):1307-17. doi: 10.1093/humrep/der059. Epub 2011 Mar 22.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 21427118 (View on PubMed)

Bunde E, Hanssen K, Huntington MK. Vitamin D status in eastern South Dakota. S D Med. 2012 Jun;65(6):227, 229, 231.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 22856011 (View on PubMed)

Boisen IM, Bollehuus Hansen L, Mortensen LJ, Lanske B, Juul A, Blomberg Jensen M. Possible influence of vitamin D on male reproduction. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2017 Oct;173:215-222. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.09.023. Epub 2016 Sep 28.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 27693423 (View on PubMed)

Blomberg Jensen M, Lawaetz JG, Petersen JH, Juul A, Jorgensen N. Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Semen Quality, Reproductive Hormones, and Live Birth Rate: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Mar 1;103(3):870-881. doi: 10.1210/jc.2017-01656.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 29126319 (View on PubMed)

Holick MF, Binkley NC, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Gordon CM, Hanley DA, Heaney RP, Murad MH, Weaver CM. Guidelines for preventing and treating vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency revisited. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Apr;97(4):1153-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-2601. Epub 2012 Mar 22. No abstract available.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 22442274 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

MOD00002311

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id