الفهرس 
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Abstract
Infertility is a condition that can cause significant financial costs and emotional stress by affecting one in seven people worldwide. About half of all cases of infertility are caused by male-related factors. Among the causes of male infertility, environmental factors, such as dietary and toxic substances, genetic disorders, infection, and inflammation have been shown.
Inflammatory pathologies are known to cause male infertility, and in this process, the production of highly reactive oxygen species (ROS) can disrupt sperm production and structure. ROS are theoretically associated with abnormal sperm.
In inflammation, ROS production may increase or affect the structure of sperm by suppressing antioxidant mechanisms. Seminal plasma contains enzymatic antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase/glutathione reductase system, and catalase, and nonenzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbate (vitamin C), α-tocopherol (vitamin E), taurine, and hypotaurine.
During inflammation, these antioxidant mechanisms may cause a condition called ‘oxidative stress,’ which results in sperm damage due to high ROS level beyond the total available antioxidant capacity in the semen.
Oxidative stress has destructive effects on the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of the sperm and membrane, and the inflammatory reactions in the male genital tract can cause male infertility, especially by damaging the DNA of the spermatozoa.
Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is measured by the albumin cobalt binding test (ACB; Ischemia Technologies), it has shown to be a biomarker for oxidative stress and ischemia where ACB measures the ability of the amino terminus (N-terminus) of human albumin to bind exogenous cobalt. Under physiological conditions, transition metals can bind tightly to the exposed N-terminus of albumin.
IMA has been used diagnosis of psoriasis, vascular injury of diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, some cancers, acute appendicitis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and beta-thalassemia. However, IMA has not yet been evaluated in infertility.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum Ischemia Modified Albumin level in primary infertility patients as a useful marker for assessing oxidative stress.
This was a prospective observational study that was conducted on patients who was diagnosed with oligozoospermia. Patients were divided into two groups:
group I (Case group): includes 40 patient diagnosed with oligozoospermia.
group II (Control group): includes 40 apparently healthy volunteers.
All patients were subjected to full history taking, general examination, local andrological examination, laboratory investigation, and scrotal ultrasound.
Summary of our results:
Age was insignificantly different between both groups.
RBCs count was higher in case group compared to control group.
WBCs, Hb, Platelet, SGOT, SGPT, urea, and creatinine were insignificantly different between both groups.
IMA was significantly higher in case group compared to control group.
IMA was significantly higher in case group compared to control group.