Aziz N, Fear S, Taylor C, Kingsland CR, Lewis-Jones DI. Human sperm head morphometric distribution and its influence on human fertility.
Fertil Steril 1998;
70:883-91. [PMID:
9806571 DOI:
10.1016/s0015-0282(98)00317-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To study the distribution of live sperm head size in semen and sperm preparations as a predictor of fertility.
DESIGN
Prospective blind clinical trial.
SETTING
Academic tertiary referral center.
PATIENT(S)
One hundred fifty-five patients undergoing IVF treatment. Females with conditions negatively influencing fertilization were excluded.
INTERVENTION(S)
Morphometric analysis (head area, major axis, minor axis, and elongation ratio) of video images of sperm in semen and swim-up preparations used for IVF treatment was performed with a Hamilton-Thorne analyzer V 8.1 (Hamilton-Thorn Research, Beverly, MA).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Oocyte fertilization.
RESULT(S)
Seventy-four percent of patients achieved fertilization. Fertilizers and nonfertilizers had different sperm head area distribution. The fertilizers had a significantly smaller interquartile range of sperm head area and of major axis in both semen and sperm preparation compared with the nonfertilizers. A subgroup of men who had fathered a child naturally had a more uniform sperm head area in semen with a significantly smaller median compared with those who failed to father a child naturally with their healthy female partner. We used multiple logistic regression applying forward stepwise selection of variables in building three predictive models 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.
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