Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA®): The Clinical Utility of Measuring Sperm DNA Damage and its Potential Improvement with Supplemental Antioxidants

The Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay (SCSA®) is the pioneering sperm DNA fragmentation assay that precisely measures the percent of sperm in a semen sample that have Sperm DNA Damage (SDD), a negative factor for successful pregnancy. The SCSA® is a rapid, dual parameter, computer driven assay with diligent unbiased flow cytometer measurements on five to ten thousand sperm per sample providing rigorous statistics. The SCSA® is the Gold Standard assay and is the most used SDD assay world-wide for human and animal sperm with hundreds of thousands research and clinical samples measured. As such, the SCSA® is the only internationally standardized SDD assay that is validated for a clinically established threshold, with precise and repeatable measures in the human clinic. Frozen clinical samples may be sent on dry ice or in liquid nitrogen dry shippers internationally by FEDEX, or equivalent, to a SCSA Diagnostic Center that results in clinical reports within 1-3 days. One-fourth of men attending an infertility clinic have high levels of sperm DNA fragmentation that need clinical counsel on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) such as use of intrauterine insemination (IUI) to in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The threshold for in vivo and IUI fertilization that suggests moving to ICSI is 25% of sperm in an ejaculate with SDD (25 %DFI). Sperm samples with severe DNA fragmentation have greatly increased statistical risk for lack of pregnancy or miscarriage. A major emphasis for male factor infertility patients is to reduce the level of SDD by changes in life style and the use of antioxidant supplements. One such supplement with great promise shown by pre-clinical experiments is Fertilix®, a scientifically formulated product now in clinical trials.