Sperm caspase-9 in oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men with and without varicocele

Objective: To assess sperm caspase-9 activity in infertile oligoasthenoteratozoospermic (OAT) men with and without varicocele. Design: Prospective. Setting: Academic setting. Patient(s): Eighty men: healthy fertile control subjects (n = 20), OAT (n = 25), and OAT associated with left-side varicocele (n = 35). Intervention(s): History taking, clinical examination, semen analysis, assessment of seminal caspase-9. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen analysis, sperm caspase-9. Result(s): Sperm caspase-9 was significantly increased in infertile OAT men associated with varicocele compared with OAT men without varicocele and healthy fertile control subjects. Sperm casapse-9 activity demonstrated significant negative correlation with sperm count, sperm motility, sperm velocity, sperm linear velocity, sperm linearity index, and sperm normal morphology. Conclusion(s): Sperm caspase-9 is exaggerated in infertile OAT cases with varicocele compared with infertile OAT cases without varicocele or healthy fertile men. Sperm caspase-9 demonstrated significant negative correlation with semen variables. (Fertil Steril (R) 2011;96:1097-9. (C) 2011 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)