Predicting the fertilizing potential of human sperm suspensions in vitro: importance of sperm morphology and leukocyte contamination

• Published in: Fertility and sterility Vol. 63; no. 6; pp. 1293 - 1300
• Main Authors: Sukcharoen, Nares, Keith, John, Stewart Irvine, D., John Aitken, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.06.1995; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Acridine Orange; Acrosome - physiology; acrosome reaction; Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; hyperactivated motility; in vitro fertilization; Infertility - therapy; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes - physiology; Luminescent Measurements; Male; Medical sciences; movement characteristics; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine - pharmacology; reactive oxygen species; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Regression Analysis; Semen - cytology; Sperm function tests; sperm morphology; Sperm Motility; Spermatozoa - abnormalities; Spermatozoa - physiology; Staining and Labeling; Sterility. Assisted procreation; movement characteristics; hyperactivated motility; reactive oxygen species; in vitro fertilization; sperm morphology; acrosome reaction; Sperm function tests; acridine orange; Human; Spermatozoa; Fertilizing ability; Prognosis; Leukocyte; Semen; Assisted procreation; Exploration; Male; Germinal cell; Fecundation; In vitro; Morphology; Technique
• ISSN: 0015-0282; 1556-5653
• DOI: 10.1016/S0015-0282(16)57614-6

To determine the relationships between sperm function tests and fertilization of human oocytes in vitro. Analysis of infertile patients undergoing IVF therapy. Diagnostic Andrology Laboratory and Assisted Conception Service. Forty-one couples who underwent IVF-ET therapy were studied. None The ability of human spermatozoa to achieve fertilization in vitro was examined in relation to numerous criteria of semen quality, including the conventional semen profile, the computer-aided assessment of sperm movement, ionophore-induced acrosome reaction, acridine orange staining, sperm morphology, and chemiluminescent signals induced by phorbol ester and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP). Significant correlations were observed between fertilization rates and several attributes of the sperm preparations, including elements of sperm function (acrosome reaction), movement (percentage motile, hyperactivation, the amplitude of lateral sperm head displacement), morphology (normal morphology, midpiece defects, multiple anomalies index), nuclear normality (acridine orange staining), and reactive oxygen species generation (chemiluminescence induced by phorbol ester and FMLP). In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, an accurate prediction of fertilization rates was obtained using a multiple regression equation incorporating six variables of which sperm morphology and FMLP-induced chemiluminescence were the most informative. A set of criteria have been identified that accurately predict the fertilizing potential of human sperm suspensions in vitro and that place particular emphasis on sperm morphology and the degree ofleukocyte contamination.