ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SPERM CELL CHROMATIN CONDENSATION, MORPHOLOGY BASED ON STRICT CRITERIA, AND FERTILIZATION, CLEAVAGE AND PREGNANCY RATESIN AN IVF PROGRAM
Me. Hammadeh et al., ASSOCIATION BETWEEN SPERM CELL CHROMATIN CONDENSATION, MORPHOLOGY BASED ON STRICT CRITERIA, AND FERTILIZATION, CLEAVAGE AND PREGNANCY RATESIN AN IVF PROGRAM, Andrologia, 30(1), 1998, pp. 29-35
In this study, a total of 95 ejaculates from infertile patients were i
nvestigated morphologically according to Kruger's strict criteria and
78 of the 95 ejaculates were stained for chromatin condensation with a
cidic aniline blue. Patients were divided into two groups based on the
percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa as follows: Men with
normal sperm morphology <14% (Group I), and men with normal morpholog
y >14% (Group 2). The relationship between percentage of normal sperm
morphology and fertilization, cleavage and pregnancy rate was analysed
. The rates were 33.7%, 57.1% and 0.0% respectively, in the first grou
p. The corresponding values for the second group were 76.1%, 68.2% and
32.1%. The fertilization and pregnancy rates correlate significantly
with morphologically normal spermatozoa. In regard to the percentage o
f morphologically normal spermatozoa stained with aniline blue, patien
ts were divided into two groups: patients with 0-20% stained spermatoz
oa (Group I) and those with >20% (Group 2). Fertilization and pregnanc
y rates were higher in the first group than in the second group (79.9%
, 52.8% vs. 58.8%, 29.5%). The results demonstrate that chromatin cond
ensation visualized by aniline blue staining is a good predictor for I
VF outcome and should be considered besides morphology by sperm assess
ment for patients undergoing IVF treatment.