Projects
04: Drop of male fertility in various geographic regions of Switzerland: Investigation of the critical parameters usable for prospective repeated evaluations.
Geographical assessment of male fertility in Switzerland.
Germond Marc, CPMA, Lausanne
e-mail: marc.germond@cpma.ch
Exposure to estrogens or related compounds in the environment has been suspected of inducing detrimental effects on male reproductive development and of being responsible for a decline in spermatozoa concentrations in humans. Here, data will be collected to assess for the first time the geographical distribution of sperm qualities in Switzerland and to identify environmental effects based on regional differences.
Background
During recent decades, chemicals with effects similar to estrogens have been released into the environment. At the same time, the incidence of malformations of male reproductive organs and testicular cancer has increased. The lack of representative studies has so far not permitted demonstration of correlations between environmental endocrine disruptors and male infertility. There is an urgent need for the development of simple gauges and tools to check the parameters known to affect male fertility.
Aim
During a two-year period, data will be collected from young volunteers. A careful evaluation will be performed using questionnaires which focus, among other things, on the origin of the father, the geographical location of the mother during pregnancy and the medical history of the subject. Sperm, saliva and blood samples will be obtained from each subject and analyzed. 3,000 cases, originating from all regions of Switzerland, will be examined within this project. The sperm samples will be analyzed for standard parameters such as concentration, sperm counts, mobility and morphology. A recording device will allow the capture of video sequences of sperm movement for later comparative analysis by a sperm analyzer.
Significance
One major goal of the planned work is to establish for the first time a geographical distribution of sperm qualities in Switzerland in order to identify various environmental effects. This may lead to the implementation of preventive measures.Another goal is to contribute to longitudinal studies in terms of fertility. This will allow identification of male infertility cases that are inherited and not related to environmental factors.