DNA-Damaged Sperm Identified as New Biological Marker for Repeated Miscarriages

A study published in Clinical Chemistry earlier this month has linked sperm with more DNA damage to repeated miscarriages. Recurring miscarriages, defined as three or more consecutive miscarriages before 20 weeks of pregnancy, occur in 1–2 percent of couples. Typically, the woman is screened for any underlying causes, but about half of the cases can’t identify anything linked to the miscarriages, making helpful medical interventions difficult.

“Traditionally, doctors have focused attention on women when looking for the causes of recurrent miscarriage,” Channa Jayasena, a clinical senior lecturer in endocrinology at the Imperial College London and first author of this study, said in a statement. “The men’s health — and the health of their sperm — wasn’t analysed.”

In recent years, the focus has shifted from mother to father, linking lower sperm quality to otherwise unexplained miscarriages. However, the cause of reduced sperm quality has been difficult to pinpoint, preventing screening and treatment options from being successfully utilized.

Identifying new miscarriage markers

This study identified new biological markers in the sperm of men whose partners have had repeated miscarriages. Hormone levels, semen reactive oxygen species…