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Blood test for male infertility could be on the horizon: AI can screen men with 74% accuracy - with no semen needed
A speedy male fertility test only requiring a blood sample could soon be coming to GPs, scientists say.
The test, developed by researchers in Japan, uses AI to look for hormones in a sample of blood that are indicative of a low sperm count in semen.
Overall, the AI model has an accuracy rating of 74 per cent at detecting low levels of sperm, the experts say.
But it is 100 per cent accurate at predicting non-obstructive azoospermia - a severe lack of sperm in the ejaculate and a primary cause of infertility.
In the near future, men could get their finger pricked for a small blood sample, which could be sent off for analysis to determine infertility risk.
In the future, the AI blood sample analysis may become an established screening method for male infertility in place of semen testing (file photo)
The test is being developed by a group led by Professor Hideyuki Kobayashi at the Department of Urology, Toho University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.
'Usually, the first step in the diagnosis of male infertility is to perform a semen analysis, and if abnormalities are found, a hormone test is performed,' he told MailOnline.
'The unique feature of this study is that it is groundbreaking in that the risk of male infertility is determined based on a hormone test, rather than a semen test.'
'Semen testing is a simple test, but it does not adequately screen for male infertility because only infertility centres have the room for ejaculation and the specialized equipment to perform the test,' added Professor Kobayashi.
'There are also men who are socially or religiously unable to ejaculate by masturbation.'
This graphical abstract explains the new model for determining risk of male infertility from hormone levels in the blood
Semen analysis is considered essential for diagnosis of male infertility, but is not readily available at medical institutions other than those specializing in infertility treatment.
'Fertility specialists take it for granted that the first step in diagnosing male infertility is to perform a semen analysis,' Professor Kobayashi added.
'This is the world's first AI prediction to determine the risk of male infertility without semen testing.'
He trained his AI computer prediction model on data from 3,662 men who underwent semen and hormone testing for male infertility between 2011 and 2020.
From each man's semen sample, semen volume and sperm concentration were measured.
Also measured was sperm motility – the ability of the sperm to move efficiently, which of course is linked with fertilisation of an egg.
Various hormones that have been linked with of either high or low sperm count in semen were also measured in the blood samples, including testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL) and estradiol (E2).
According to the World Health Organization, about half of all infertility is due to men. Semen analysis is considered essential for diagnosing male infertility but is not readily available at medical institutions other than those specializing in infertility treatment (file photo)
Next, the AI model was validated using data from 2021 and 2022 for which both semen and hormone tests were available.
Using the data of 188 patients in 2021, the accuracy was about 58 per cent, while accuracy using the data for 166 patients in 2022 was about 68 per cent.
However, non-obstructive azoospermia – defined as no sperm in the ejaculate – could be predicted with a 100 per cent accuracy rate in both 2021 and 2022.
Overall, based on the data from 3,662 patients, the model had an accuracy rating of 74 per cent, the researchers report.
'This AI prediction model is intended only as a primary screening step prior to semen testing,' Professor Kobayashi said.
'While it is not a replacement for semen testing, it can be easily performed at facilities other than those specializing in infertility treatment.
'When the prediction model detects abnormal values, since patients may possibly have non-obstructive azoospermia, this should be a trigger for them to undergo detailed testing at a specialist infertility clinic and receive appropriate treatment.'
Professor Kobayashi said his team has already issued a patent and are working with a firm called Clear Tact Inc to commercialize the product.
'We're aiming to bring it to market within five years and I think the market will start with Japan,' he told MailOnline.
The full results have been reported in the British scientific journal Scientific Reports.