ArticleJournal of assisted reproduction and genetics2026
Integrated analysis of autophagy-related lncRNAs and oxidative DNA damage reveals molecular signatures of severe sperm abnormalities.
Article in Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeAutophagy is a critical intracellular degradation pathway involved in cellular homeostasis and spermatogenesis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate autophagy-related signaling; however, their role in male infertility remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between autophagy-related lncRNAs, oxidative DNA damage, and sperm abnormalities in infertile men.
methodsA total of 120 men were included: 30 fertile controls, 30 with asthenospermia (AS), 30 with teratospermia (TS), and 30 with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OATS). Expression levels of autophagy-related lncRNAs and protein-coding genes were quantified using real-time PCR. LC3 protein expression was assessed by Western blot, and sperm 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels were measured by ELISA. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, correlation analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.
resultsAutophagy-related lncRNAs (H19, HOTAIR, MALAT1, NBR2, HULC, and ROR) and key autophagy markers (ATG7 and LC3) were significantly upregulated predominantly in the OATS group compared with controls and other groups (p < 0.05). LC3 protein levels were also significantly increased in OATS. Sperm 8-OHdG levels were significantly elevated in both AS and OATS groups. Correlation analyses revealed significant associations between hormone levels (FSH, LH, and prolactin) and lncRNA expression, particularly in the OATS group. ROC analysis demonstrated moderate discrimination for OATS versus other groups (AUC = 0.754) and excellent discrimination for OATS versus controls (AUC = 0.902).
conclusionDysregulation of autophagy-related lncRNAs and increased oxidative DNA damage are strongly associated with severe sperm abnormalities. The observed molecular alterations may represent either contributors to sperm dysfunction or adaptive responses to oxidative stress. Combined evaluation of these markers showed promising discriminatory performance, although validation in larger independent cohorts is required before clinical application.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42747759What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.