Use of testicular sperm in couples with SCSA-defined high sperm DNA fragmentation and failed intracytoplasmic sperm injection using ejaculated sperm

• Published in: Asian journal of andrology Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 348 - 353
• Main Authors: Alharbi, Mohannad, Hamouche, Fadl, Phillips, Simon, Kadoch, Jacques, Zini, Armand
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shanghai Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2020; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Birth rate; Chromatin; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA damage; Embryos; Ganirelix; Genetic research; In vitro fertilization; Infertility; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; male infertility; sperm chromatin structure assay; sperm dna fragmentation; sperm retrieval; testicular sperm; Local anesthesia; Miscarriage; Motility; Original; Ovaries; Pregnancy; Sperm; Studies; United States > US
• ISSN: 1008-682X; 1745-7262
• DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_99_19

Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) has been linked with male infertility, and previous studies suggest that SDF can have negative influence on pregnancy outcomes with assisted reproduction. We performed a retrospective review of consecutive couples with a high SDF level that had intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using testicular sperm (T-ICSI). We compared the T-ICSI outcomes to that of two control groups: 87 couples with failed first ICSI cycle and who had a second ICSI cycle using ejaculated sperm (Ej-ICSI), and 48 consecutive couples with high sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA)-defined SDF (>15%) that underwent an ICSI cycle using ejaculated sperm after one or more failed ICSI cycles (Ej-ICSI-high SDF). The mean number of oocytes that were retrieved and the total number of embryos were not different among the three groups. The mean number of transferred embryos in the T-ICSI group was higher than the Ej-ICSI group but not significantly different than the Ej-ICSI-high SDF group (1.4, 1.2, and 1.3, respectively, P < 0.05). Clinical pregnancy rate in the T-ICSI group was not significantly different than the Ej-ICSI and Ej-ICSI-high SDF groups (48.6%, 48.2%, and 38.7%, respectively, P > 0.05). No significant difference was found in live birth rate when comparing T-ICSI to Ej-ICSI and Ej-ICSI-high SDF groups. The results suggest that pregnancy outcomes and live birth rates with T-ICSI are not significantly superior to Ej-ICSI in patients with an elevated SCSA-defined sperm DNA fragmentation and prior ICSI failure(s).