Aneuploidy frequencies in semen fractions from ten oligoasthenoteratozoospermic patients donating sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Objective: To determine aneuploidy frequencies in pellet and swim-up semen fractions from 10 infertile men with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (O AT) who were donating sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and to det ermine whether the swim-up isolation method would successfully separate ane uploid from haploid sperm. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Infertility clinic and molecular genetics laboratory. Patient(s): Ten patients with severe OAT. Intervention(s): Cytogenetic analyses by fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine aneuploidy frequencies for chromosomes 1, 13, 18, 21, X, and Y in sperm from swim-up and pellet fractions. Main Outcome Measure(s): Gametic aneuploidy was scored in sperm fractions s eparated by the swim-up technique and clinical results after intracytoplasm ic sperm injection were tabulated. Result(s): In all cases, chromosome aneuploidy levels in patients were sign ificantly greater than in controls. The type and percentage of aneuploid sp erm for all patients with OAT found in both swim-up and pellet fractions we re not different, with the exception of diploid sperm, which remained in th e pellet fraction. After ET, 2 (20%) of 10 couples achieved successful preg nancies. Conclusion(s): The data show significantly higher rates of diploidy, autoso mal disomy and nullisomy, sex chromosome disomy and nullisomy, and total an euploidy in sperm from all separated fractions obtained From all patients w ith OAT versus controls. This patient population with OAT may be at increas ed risk of producing aneuploid offspring. (Fertil Steril(R) 1999;72:472-8. (C) 1999 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)