Table 2. Analysis of the three age groups studied
Characteristic Age Group
Total ≤ 35 years 36–45 years > 45 years P
Patients (n) 1500 597 727 176  
Abstinence (days) 3.6 ± 1.0
(2–5) 		3.2 ± 1.0
(2–5) 		3.5 ± 1.0
(2–5) 		4.0 ± 2.0
(2–5) 		ns
Volume* (ml) 2.9 ± 1.4
(0.5-9.5)
  		3.0 ± 1.4A
(0.5-9.5)
  		2.9 ± 1.3B
(0.5-8.5)
  		2.5 ± 1.4A,B
(0.5-7)
  		A,B< 0.0001
Concentration* (x 106/ml) 62.5 ± 50.8
(0.1–390)
  		60.6 ± 49.4
(0.1–305)
  		64.1 ± 52.1
(0.1–390)
  		61.2 ± 49.8
(0.1–280) 		ns
Motility* (rapid + slow progression) % 56.9 ± 17.3
(0–95) 		58.9 ± 16.5A,B
(0–95) 		56.3 ± 17.2A,C
(0–95) 		51.8 ± 19.5B,C
(0–85)
  		A< 0.003
B< 0.0001
C0.01
Vitality* (%) 64.6 ± 15.6
(0–98)
  		66.7 ± 14.6A,B
(0–97)
  		64.0 ± 15.3A,C
(0–98)
  		60.1 ± 18.3B,C
(0–86)
  		A0.0002
B< 0.0001
C0.03
Leukocytes (x 106) 0.4 ± 2.2 0.5 ± 3.4 0.4 ± 0.9 0.3 ± 0.5 ns
Sperm morphology** (%)
Normal spermatozoa
 
Spermatozoa with LNV 		 
1.03 ± 1.7
(0–15)
31.6 ± 19.7
(2–100) 		 
1.11 ± 1.9A
(0–15)
30.4 ± 18.7A
(3–98) 		 
1.05 ± 1.7
(0–11)
31.4 ± 19.5B
(2–100) 		 
0.69 ± 1.0A
(0–8)
36.5 ± 23.1A,B
(5–100) 		 
A0.03
 
A0.001
B0.0050
Sperm DNA fragmentation (%) 16.2 ± 9.3
(3–60) 		15.3 ± 9.0A,B
(3–59) 		16.7 ± 9.7A
(3–60) 		16.7 ± 8.5B
(4–41) 		A0.008
B0.02
*Categorized according to the World Health Organization guidelines
**MSOME criteria
Values within rows with the same superscript letter were significantly different
ns: not significant