An algorithm to predict pregnancy in assisted reproduction

BACKGROUND: Male fertility potential cannot be measured by conventional parameters for the assisted reproduction technique; ICSI. This study determines the relationship between testicular and ejaculated sperm mitochondrial (mt) DNA deletions, nuclear (n) DNA fragmentation, and fertilization and preg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Human reproduction (Oxford) 2004-06, Vol.19 (6), p.1385-1394
Main Authors: Lewis, S.E.M., O’Connell, M., Stevenson, M., Thompson‐Cree, L., McClure, N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Biological and medical sciences
Cell Size
DNA Fragmentation
DNA, Mitochondrial
Ejaculation
Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology
Female
Fertilization
fertilization/human testicular and ejaculated sperm/mitochondrial DNA/nuclear DNA/pregnancy
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Deletion
Humans
Male
Predictive Value of Tests
Pregnancy
Sperm Count
Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
Spermatozoa - cytology
Testis
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:BACKGROUND: Male fertility potential cannot be measured by conventional parameters for the assisted reproduction technique; ICSI. This study determines the relationship between testicular and ejaculated sperm mitochondrial (mt) DNA deletions, nuclear (n) DNA fragmentation, and fertilization and pregnancy rates in ICSI. METHODS: Ejaculated sperm were obtained from 77 men and testicular sperm from 28 men with obstructive azoospermia undergoing ICSI. Testicular sperm were retrieved using a Trucut needle. mtDNA was analysed using a long PCR. The alkaline Comet assay determined nDNA fragmentation. RESULTS: Of subjects who achieved a pregnancy (50%) using testicular sperm, only 26% had partners’ sperm with wild‐type (WT) mtDNA. Of pregnant subjects (38%) using ejaculated sperm, only 8% had partner sperm with WT mtDNA. In each, the successful group had less mtDNA deletions and less nDNA fragmentation. There were inverse relationships between pregnancy and mtDNA deletion numbers, size and nDNA fragmentation for both testicular and ejaculated sperm. No relationships were observed with fertilization rates. An algorithm for the prediction of pregnancy is presented based on the quality of sperm nDNA and mtDNA. CONCLUSION: In both testicular and ejaculated sperm, mtDNA deletions and nDNA fragmentation are closely associated with pregnancy in ICSI.
ISSN:0268-1161
1460-2350
1460-2350
DOI:10.1093/humrep/deh227