Oxidative Stress in Semen

There is growing evidence to support a link between oxidative stress and male infertility.

It is the underlying cause of sperm DNA damage and impairs semen parameters and fertilisation, adversely affects embryo development and is associated with reduced pregnancy rates. It may also increase the risk of miscarriage. High levels of ROS may be reduced by considering varicocele repair, treatment of underlying infections or inflammation, changes in lifestyle or with antioxidant supplements.

TDL provides a comprehensive assessment of oxidative stress by combined measurement of Reactive Oxygen Species and Redox Potential. Please request as oxidative stress test (code ROS).

The test includes combined testing for:

Chemiluminescence Assay for Reactive Oxygen Species

Reactive Oxidative stress may be measured by a simple chemiluminescence test in semen, which measures the level of reactive oxygen species.

MIOXSYS Electrochemical Assay for Redox Potential

Oxidative stress may be determined by an electrochemical assay which measures the redox potential in semen. This test measures the overall difference between total oxidants and antioxidants in the system.

References

Vassiliou A, Martin CH, Homa ST, Stone J, Dawkins A, Genkova MN, Skyla Dela Roca H, Parikh S, Patel J, Yap T, Killeen AP. Redox potential in human semen: Validation and qualification of the MiOXsys assay. Andrologia. 2021 Mar;53(2):e13938. doi: 10.1111/and.13938. Epub 2020 Dec 30. PMID: 33377541. Abstract