P-193: Chlamydia Trachomatis Can Increase Sperm DNA Fragmentation in Infertile Men

Background: Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT) is an obligate intracellular bacteria, that requires living cells to replicate itself and is responsible for lower urinary tract disease in men and women. It can cause urethritis, epididymitis, orchitis and complications such as chronic prostatitis in men. Chlamydia infections may also directly affect male fertility by damaging the sperm, because sperm parameters, proportion of DNA fragmentation and acrosome reaction capacity can be impaired with chlamydial infection. The aim of this study was to determine sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) in men with chlamydia trachomatis infection compared to control group. Materials and Methods: This research was a casecontrol study. 258 males with abnormal sperm parameters and leukocyto spermia reffered to Royan Institute were examined for CT infection by ELISA technique, in which 20 samples were CT positive. The results were confirmed by molecular test using PCR for CT genome. DFI was evaluated by SCSA (Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay).30 males with normal sperm parameters considered as a control group. Results: Means of DFI in CT infected patients and control group was 16.95 and 10.16 %, respectively. The DFI in CT infected group is significantly higher than that of in control group (p=0.013). Conclusion: According to the results, patients with CT infection have higher sperm DNA fragmentation in comparison with fertile controls. This increase is commensurately greater than the influence on classical semen parameters and could result in a decreased fertility capability.