IBD: Low-dose methotrexate treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease does not affect the quality of semen and sperm

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the resulting chronic inflammation can affect the fertility of men of childbearing age
.

Moreover, men’s drug exposure during the peri-pregnancy period has attracted more and more attention.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the resulting chronic inflammation can affect the fertility of men of childbearing age

 

The researchers compared semen samples from 14 patients with IBD who received low-dose methotrexate maintenance therapy with samples from 40 healthy volunteers
.

In addition, 5 patients who were not treated with methotrexate were also compared in pairs

 

The results of the study showed that the DNA fragmentation index of methotrexate-treated patients was comparable to that of healthy volunteers (DFI, 11.
5 VS 15.
0; P = .
06), and there was no significant change in DFI when methotrexate was used and stopped in the paired samples (DFI, 12.
0 VS 14.
0; P = 0.
35)
.

There was no difference in sperm concentration, motility and morphology between men and healthy volunteers who received methotrexate treatment

Figure: Differences in sperm quality between different treatment groups

This study confirmed that the sperm quality of patients treated with low-dose methotrexate was comparable to that of healthy volunteers, and that methotrexate treatment did not increase the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation
.

However, the study does not support the cryopreservation of semen before the start of treatment, nor does it support the treatment of methotrexate within 3 months before conception

This study confirmed that the sperm quality of patients treated with low-dose methotrexate was comparable to that of healthy volunteers, and that methotrexate treatment did not increase the degree of sperm DNA fragmentation

Original source:

Anne Grosen.

Low-dose Methotrexate Therapy Does Not Affect Semen Parameters and Sperm DNA.
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