THE HEMIZONA ASSAY - ITS ROLE IN IDENTIFYING MALE FACTOR INFERTILITY IN ASSISTED REPRODUCTION

Objectives: To identify male factor infertility among a group of patie nts in an assisted reproductive program (phase 1) and to evaluate the hemizona assay (HZA) in the diagnosis and prognosis of such a program (phase 2). Design: The IVF performance of normal gametes in the Tygerb erg program were critically evaluated. Female patients were classified as pure tubal factor infertility, having a normal FSH:LH ratio on day 3 of the menstrual cycle. All participating women produced three or m ore preovulatory oocytes at retrieval and were inseminated with sperm considered normal by all present diagnostic criteria. The total and no rmal fertilization rate thresholds were defined in that group. Using t hose thresholds, couples tested for sperm binding in the HZA (n = 48) were used and divided into two groups according to their fertilization rates, namely group 1, low fertilization (<55%) and group 2, normal f ertilization (>55%). Setting: University-based tertiary care center. P atients: Ninety-nine couples (589 oocytes) with pure tubal factor infe rtility and normal male factor were used in phase 1. Forty-eight coupl es with normal and abnormal male factors that had both HZA performed a nd IVF treatment were included in phase 2. Results: Investigation of t he performance of normal gametes in 99 couples (589 oocytes) revealed the total fertilization rate (total number of oocytes fertilized/total number of oocytes inseminated) was (mean +/- SD) 88.6% +/- 16.8% and the normal fertilization rate (total number of oocytes with normal fer tilization/total number of oocytes inseminated) was 81.3% +/- 22%. The minimum total fertilization rate that can be considered normal in the Tygerberg program using mean - 2 SD is therefore 55% and for normal f ertilization rate is 37%. The group with low fertilization rate (<55%) showed a mean hemizona index (HZI) significantly lower; nevertheless, the distribution overlapping indicates a low discriminating power of the HZA. A sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 75% were found; the positive and negative predictive values were 81% and 68%, respectivel y. Conclusions: The results indicated the HZA and HZI contribute impor tant information and can serve in conjunction with other semen charact eristics as useful tools during the diagnosis of the male factor in as sisted reproduction.