MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MOTILE SPERMATOZOA IN SUBFERTILE MEN WITH AN EXCESS OF NON-SPERM CELLS IN THE EJACULATE

A comparison has been made between the morphological dimensions of mot ile spermatozoa in subfertile men demonstrating a persistent excess of non-sperm cells in their semen and those found in spematozoa from fer tile controls. Scanning electron microscopy and image analysis were us ed to make a morphometric assessment of defined sperm parameters in th e study and control subjects. Half of the study cohort had an excess ( >5 x 10(6)/ml) of seminal leukocytes and the remainder an excess of sp erm precursors in the ejaculate. In subjects with a sperm precursor ex cess, the motile spermatozoa had several significantly larger head par ameters than those from both the fertile controls and those men with a leukocyte excess. Mid-piece and tail measurements did not differ sign ificantly between groups. These findings suggest that, where there are large numbers of immature germinal elements present in semen, there i s aberrant morphological development of the motile, apparently mature, spermatozoa which may represent disordered spermatogenesis.