Skip to main content

Table 2 The results of ALA and sham therapy in two groups of the three studies

From: Effect of oral alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on sperm parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Basic

Information

Results(Mean ± SD) after treatment in two groups

treatment group(with ALA)

control group(with sham therapy)

P Value

Raaia et al. [13]

2012

Egypt

1.Semen parameters after one month

sperm concentration(106/ml): 40.4 ± 86.7

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 39.2 ± 20.3

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 27.6 ± 16.6

2.Semen parameters after two months

sperm concentration(106/ml): 43.7 ± 39.7

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 45.1 ± 17.9

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 33.3 ± 15.8

3.Semen parameters after three months

sperm concentration(106/ml): 40.0 ± 27.6

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 46.9 ± 19.8

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 34.0 ± 17.8

abnormal sperm forms (%): 63.7 ± 13.3

1.Semen parameters after one month

sperm concentration(106/ml): 26.6 ± 27.4

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 40.6 ± 20.1

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 29.9 ± 19.9

2.Semen parameters after two months

sperm concentration(106/ml): 26.7 ± 22.5

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 39.7 ± 16.2

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 28.2 ± 14.5

3.Semen parameters after three months

sperm concentration(106/ml): 21.8 ± 17.9

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 42.8 ± 19.9

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 29.8 ± 17.9

abnormal sperm forms (%): 69.3 ± 17.5

1.Semen parameters after one month

sperm concentration: 0.216

total motility(grade a+b+c): 0.680

progressive motility(grade a+b): 0.789

2.Semen parameters after two months

sperm concentration: 0.042*

total motility(grade a+b+c): 0.490

progressive motility(grade a+b): 0.415

3.Semen parameters after three months

sperm concentration: 0.001*

total motility(grade a+b+c): 0.288

progressive motility(grade a+b): 0.303

abnormal sperm forms: 0.128

Haghighian et al. [21]

2015

Iran

semen volume(ml): 3.5 ± 0.3

total sperm number(106/ejaculate): 90.4 ± 6.2

sperm concentration(106/ml): 26.3 ± 3.1

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 33.4 ± 2.9

fast progressively motility(grade a) (%): 6.5 ± 2.2

slow progressively motility(grade b) (%): 26.9 ± 2.4

non-progressively motility(grade c) (%): 7.1 ± 3.8

immotile spermatozoa(grade d) (%): 59.3 ± 4.5

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 40.6 ± 4.9

normal forms(%): 15.3 ± 3.6

vitality(%): 71.4 ± 3.5

semen volume(ml): 3.5 ± 0.3

total sperm number(106/ejaculate): 77.5 ± 4.5

sperm concentration(106/ml): 22.8 ± 2.7

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 27.1 ± 2.3

fast progressively motility(grade a) (%): 2.7 ± 1.3

slow progressively motility(grade b) (%): 24.3 ± 2.2

non-progressively motility(grade c) (%): 8.8 ± 3.2

immotile spermatozoa(grade d) (%): 63.9 ± 2.9

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 36.0 ± 3.1

normal forms(%): 13.8 ± 3.7

vitality(%): 72.8 ± 4

semen volume: 0.991

total sperm number: < 0.001*

sperm concentration: < 0.001*

progressive motility(grade a+b): < 0.001*

fast progressively motility(grade a): < 0.001*

slow progressively motility(grade b): 0.011*

non-progressively motility(grade c): 0.122

immotile spermatozoa(grade d): 0.005*

total motility(grade a+b+c): 0.004*

normal forms: 0.153

vitality: 0.255

Abbasi et al. [20]

2020

Iran

1.before microsurgical repair of varicocele/no-medication

sperm concentration (106/ml): 52.3 ± 12.5

semen volume (ml): 1.9 ± 0.2

abnormal sperm forms (%): 97.2 ± 0.3

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 36.4 ± 5.6

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 23.7 ± 3.4

sperm lipid peroxidation(%): 40.7 ± 3.3

spermlipid peroxidation(intensity): 25.2 ± 3.0

DNA fragmentation(%): 11.2 ± 0.6

DNA damage index(%): 23.2 ± 1.5

sperm protamine deficiency(%): 35.3 ± 3.2

2. post-varicocelectomy/post-medication semen parameters

sperm concentration (106/ml): 81.6 ± 16.1

semen volume (ml): 3.1 ± 0.4

abnormal sperm forms (%): 93.4 ± 0.7

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 50.3 ± 5.2

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 35.7 ± 3.9

sperm lipid peroxidation(%): 22.6 ± 1.6

spermlipid peroxidation(intensity): 21.7 ± 1.8

DNA fragmentation(%): 12.2 ± 1.0

DNA damage index(%): 18.3 ± 1.4

sperm protamine deficiency(%): 33.5 ± 3.2

1.before microsurgical repair of varicocele/no-medication 

sperm concentration (106/ml): 47.9 ± 12.1

semen volume (ml): 2.3 ± 0.3

abnormal sperm forms (%): 98.2 ± 0.3

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 38.3 ± 5.7

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 24.8 ± 4.0

sperm lipid peroxidation(%): 36.2 ± 3.3

spermlipid peroxidation(intensity): 24.1 ± 1.7

DNA fragmentation(%): 13.6 ± 2.4

DNA damage index(%): 20.4 ± 2.3

sperm protamine deficiency(%): 41.7 ± 4.1

2. post-varicocelectomy/post-medication semen parameters

sperm concentration (106/ml): 74.4 ± 12.7

semen volume (ml): 3.6 ± 0.3

abnormal sperm forms (%): 95.4 ± 0.7

total motility(grade a+b+c) (%): 39.7 ± 4.4

progressive motility(grade a+b) (%): 26.7 ± 3.8

sperm lipid peroxidation(%): 24.0 ± 1.8

spermlipid peroxidation(intensity): 21.3 ± 1.5

DNA fragmentation(%): 10.3 ± 0.9

DNA damage index(%): 16.4 ± 1.2

sperm protamine deficiency(%): 37.4 ± 3.6

1.before microsurgical repair of varicocele

sperm concentration: 0.8

semen volume: 0.45

abnormal sperm forms: 0.04*

total motility(grade a+b+c): 0.8

progressive motility(grade a+b): 0.83

sperm lipid peroxidation: 0.34

spermlipid peroxidation(intensity): 0.72

DNA fragmentation: 0.39

DNA damage index: 0.32

sperm protamine deficiency: 0.24

2. post-varicocelectomy/post-medication semen parameters

sperm concentration: 0.72

semen volume: 0.42

abnormal sperm forms: 0.056

total motility(grade a+b+c): 0.12

progressive motility(grade a+b): 0.11

sperm lipid peroxidation: 0.56

spermlipid peroxidation(intensity): 0.84

DNA fragmentation: 0.2

DNA damage index: 0.32

sperm protamine deficiency: 0.42

  1. Legend: *This parameter had significant changes after ALA treatment, compared with the control group. Statistical tests were two-sided with T test and used p-value less than 0.05 as a significance threshold
  2. ALA Apha-lipoic acid