Table 3.
Correlation between apoptotic sperm biomarkers and sperm morphology characteristics
| Atypical forms (%) | Head abnormalities (%) | Tail abnormalities (%) | Mid-piece abnormalities (%) | Multiple anomalies index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO/EB staining assay | |||||
| Normal spz (%) |
r=−0.393 p=0.006 |
r=−0.378 p=0.04 |
r=−0.280 p=0.028 |
NS |
r=0.378 p=0.005 |
| Early apoptotic spz (%) |
r=0.249 p=0.046 |
NS | NS | NS | NS |
| Tardif apoptotic spz (%) | NS |
r=−0.337 p=0.01 |
NS | NS |
r=−0.371 p=0.006 |
| Necrotic spz (%) |
r=0.304 p=0.019 |
r=0.354 p=0.007 |
r=0.265 p=0.036 |
NS |
r=−0.302 p=0.021 |
| Caspase assay | |||||
| Casp+/PI− (%) |
r=−0.386 p=0.001 |
NS |
r=−0.274 p=0.037 |
NS | NS |
| Casp+/PI+ (%) |
r=0.401 p=0.001 |
NS |
r=0.254 p=0.026 |
NS | NS |
| Casp−/PI+ (%) |
r=0.311 p=0.008 |
NS | NS | NS | NS |
Statistical analysis was performed using the Spearman rank-order correlation test. Significant difference with control group (p<0.05). Highly significant difference with control group (p<0.01)
NS not significant