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Defective sperm decondensation: a cause for fertilization failure
Author(s) -
Esterhuizen A. D.,
Franken D. R.,
Becker P. J.,
Lourens J. G. H.,
Müller I. I.,
Van Rooyen L. H.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1046/j.0303-4569.2001.00423.x
Subject(s) - sperm , human fertilization , staining , andrology , zona pellucida , biology , in vitro fertilisation , embryo , oocyte , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , genetics , medicine
Summary. The study aimed to evaluate the role of chromatin packaging (CMA 3 staining), sperm morphology during sperm‐zona binding, sperm decondensation and the presence of polar bodies in oocytes that failed in vitro fertilization (IVF). The percentage CMA 3 staining categorized the data into three groups, < 44%, n = 10; ≥ 44–59%, n = 10; and ≥60%, n = 29. Morphology groups were ≤ 4% ( n = 11); > 4–14% ( n = 19); and >14% ( n = 19). One hundred and seventy‐two oocytes that failed IVF were evaluated for sperm‐zona binding, ooplasma penetration and sperm decondensation. Odds ratio analyses indicated that being in the ≥60% CMA 3 staining group resulted in a 15.6 fold increase in the risk of decondensation failure, relative to CMA 3 staining of <44%. For morphology, there was a 2.17 fold decrease in the risk of fertilization failure in the morphology group with >4–14% normal cells, while it increased 2.45 fold for the morphology group with ≤4% normal cells. Using CMA 3 fluorescence to discriminate, 51% of the oocytes in the group with elevated CMA 3 fluorescence had no sperm in the ooplasma compared to 32% and 16% penetration failure in the CMA 3 staining groups ≥44–59% and <44%, respectively. Sperm chromatin packaging quality and sperm morphology assessments are useful clinical indicators of human fertilization failure. Immunofluorescence techniques could be used to provide a clear diagnosis of failed fertilization.