Evaluation of the Relationship Between Body Mass Index (BMI) and DNA Fragmentation Index Changes in Primary Infertile Patients Following Microscopic Sub Inguinal Varicocelectomy

Objectives: To investigate changes in DNA fragmentation index in primary infertile patients with varicocele, which is followed by microscopic subingual varicocelectomy in different groups based on body mass index (BMI). Methods: This study was performed in 100 patients with primary infertility with varicocele. Patients were divided into three groups (normal (N), overweight (OW), and obese (OB)) based on BMI index. DNA fragmentation index (DFI) parameters were evaluated before and 6 months after varicocelectomy. For DFI analysis, the SCD (sperm chromatin dispersion test) method was used. Data were analyzed using t-test, Chi-square, and ANOVA. Results: In this study, the mean age of participants was 33.6 and their mean BMI was 28.6, that 51 patients underwent bilateral varicocelectomy and 49 patients underwent left varicocelectomy surgery. In this study, a comparison of DFI before and 6 months after surgery showed a decrease in DFI in all three groups. The difference was 23 in the normal weight group, 11.2 in the overweight group and 9.58 in the obese group, which is statistically significant (PV < 0.05). Also, in comparison with the rate of DFI reduction between groups, the normal weight group showed a greater decrease than the overweight and obese group. This difference was statistically significant (PV < 0.05), while comparing the rate of DFI reduction between the two groups of overweight and obese, was observed no significant difference (PV = 0.635). Conclusions: Although DFI level decreased significantly 6 months after surgery in all groups with different body mass index. However, the rate of reduction was not the same in different groups and was higher in normal-weight patients than in overweight and obese individuals. But there was no significant difference in the rate of reduction between the overweight and obese groups.