THE EFFECT OF CHROMATIN CONDENSATION (ANILINE-BLUE STAINING) AND MORPHOLOGY (STRICT CRITERIA) OF HUMAN SPERMATOZOA ON FERTILIZATION, CLEAVAGE AND PREGNANCY RATES IN AN INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION PROGRAM

The main purpose of this study was to determine the possible relations hip between chromatin condensation (Aniline Blue staining), the morpho logy of spermatozoa according to strict criteria, and the fertilizatio n, cleavage and pregnancy rate in an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) programme. A total of 60 patients were divided into two groups (27 versus 34) according to sperm stainability by Aniline Blue. The fi rst group involved patients having a positive Aniline Blue staining te st with 0-29% stained. The fertilization rate in this group was 60.8%, cleavage rate 54.4% and pregnancy rate 18.5%. In the second group in which >29% spermatozoa were positively stained, the fertilization rate was 62.1%, cleavage rate 62.0% and pregnancy rate 35.3%. There were n o statistically significant difference between the two groups. Further more, the influence of morphology according to strict criteria after P apanicolaou staining on successful fertilization, cleavage and pregnan cy was studied in 85 patients who were divided into two groups accordi ng to the percentage of morphologically normal sperm. The fertilizatio n, cleavage and pregnancy rates were 44.21, 63.37, and 39.47% respecti vely in the first group (<4%) were 56.50, 46.04 and 21.21%. There was no significant correlation between the fertilization (P = 0.722), clea vage (P = 0.519) and pregnancy (P = 0.096) rates in either group. This study demonstrates that neither chromatin condensation (Aniline Blue staining) nor morphology could assess the fertilization potential, cle avage and pregnancy rate in an ICSI programme.