HUMAN SPERM HEAD MORPHOMETRIC DISTRIBUTION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON HUMAN-FERTILITY

Objective: To study the distribution of live sperm head size in semen and sperm preparations as a predictor of fertility. Design: Prospectiv e blind clinical trial. Setting: Academic tertiary referral center. Pa tient(s): One hundred fifty-five patients undergoing NF treatment. Fem ales with conditions negatively influencing fertilization were exclude d. Intervention(s): Morphometric analysis (head area, major axis, mino r axis, and elongation ratio) of video images of sperm in semen and sw im-up preparations used for IVF treatment was performed with a Hamilto n-Thorne analyzer V 8.1 (Hamilton-Thorn Research, Beverly, MA). Main O utcome Measure(s): Oocyte fertilization. Result(s): Seventy-four perce nt of patients achieved fertilization. Fertilizers and nonfertilizers had different sperm head area distribution. The fertilizers had a sign ificantly smaller interquartile range of sperm head area and of major axis in both semen and sperm preparation compared with the nonfertiliz ers. A subgroup of men who had fathered a child naturally had a more u niform sperm head area in semen with a significantly smaller median co mpared with those who failed to father a child naturally with their he althy female partner. We used multiple logistic regression applying fo rward stepwise selection of variables in building three predictive mod els of probability of fertilization. Conclusion(s): Successful IVF or history of fathering a child was associated with a more uniform sperm head area in semen and sperm preparation. (Fertil Steril(R) 1998;70:88 3-91. (C) 1998 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.).