TY - JOUR AB - Telomere length is an important biomarker in a number of diseases, including male infertility. A decreased telomere length has been reported in several diseases and telomere shortening may occur due to aging, decreased telomerase activity, oxidative stress or cell division. In recent years, several studies have indicated that males with infertility have a shorter sperm telomere length than fertile males. Sperm telomere shortening is associated with male infertility through several mechanisms, including the apoptosis of spermatozoa, decreased motility, low sperm count, incorrect chromosomal pairing and movement during meiosis, and failed fertilization. The aim of this review was to compile current findings on sperm telomere length and discuss findings to compare sperm from infertile males with that of fertile males. Several studies reported shortening of sperm telomeres associated with infertility. Thus, sperm telomere length can be used as biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of male infertility, since fertile males have longer telomeres and the length decreases with age. However, there is no specific telomere length that is set as standard/recommended length. AD - Department of Biosciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Islamabad, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory 45550, Pakistan Laboratory of Toxicology, Medical School, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece Venizeleio General Hospital, Department of Surgery, 71409 Heraklion, Greece Metabolomic Medicine Clinic, 10674 Athens, Greece Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital of Heraklion, 71003 Heraklion, Greece Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece Department of Cytopathology, University Hospital of Larissa, 41110 Larissa, Greece Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece AU - Amir,Saira AU - Vakonaki,Elena AU - Tsiminikaki,Konstantina AU - Tzatzarakis,Manolis ,N. AU - Michopoulou,Vasiliki AU - Flamourakis,Matthaios AU - Kalliantasi,Katerina AU - Karzi,Vasiliki AU - Fragkiadaki,Persefoni AU - Renieri,Elisavet ,A. AU - Tsoukalas,Dimitris AU - Thanasoula,Maria AU - Sarandi,Evangelia AU - Sakellaris,George AU - Makrigiannakis,Antonios AU - Nepka,Charitini AU - Spandidos,Demetrios ,A. AU - Tsatsakis,Aristidis DA - 2019/11/01 DO - 10.3892/wasj.2020.31 EP - 263 IS - 6 JO - World Acad Sci J KW - male infertility telomere length biomarker sperm diagnosis prognosis PY - 2019 SN - 2632-2900 2632-2919 SP - 259 ST - Sperm telomere length: Diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in male infertility (Review) T2 - World Academy of Sciences Journal TI - Sperm telomere length: Diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in male infertility (Review) UR - https://doi.org/10.3892/wasj.2020.31 VL - 1 ER -