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The prevalence of sperm with large nuclear vacuoles is a prognostic tool in the prediction of ICSI success

  • Gamete Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate if there is a correlation between the prevalence of sperm with large nuclear vacuoles (LNV) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes.

Methods

Two hundred male patients undergoing ICSI had their sperm morphology evaluated through motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) and the percentage of LNV sperm was recorded and correlated to the ICSI outcomes.

Results

The percentage of sperm with LNV negatively influenced the blastocyst formation (S: 16.9, R2: 20.5 %, p = 0.004) and implantation (S: 34.7, R2: 26.2 %, p = 0.001). There were significant differences in the percentage of sperm with LNV between patients in which pregnancy was achieved or not (22.2 % vs. 28.4 %, p < 0.001) and in patients with ongoing pregnancy or not (22.4 % vs. 28.5 %, p < 0.001). The incidence of sperm with LNV was determinant to the decreased odds of pregnancy (OR: 0.74, p < 0.001) and increased odds of miscarriage (OR: 1.46, p < 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) was sufficient to distinguish between couples which did achieve pregnancy or not (AUC: 0.922, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The MSOME is a prognostic tool in the prediction of ICSI success and could be used to select patients that should have their sperm selected by MSOME for ICSI.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Sapientiae–Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Humana Assistida, Rua Vieira Maciel, 62, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, Zip: 04503-040

    Amanda Souza Setti, Daniela Paes de Almeida Ferreira Braga, Assumpto Iaconelli Jr. & Edson Borges Jr.

  2. Fertility–Centro de Fertilização Assistida, Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antonio, 4545, São Paulo, SP, Brazil, Zip: 01401-002

    Amanda Souza Setti, Daniela Paes de Almeida Ferreira Braga, Livia Vingris, Rita de Cassia Savio Figueira, Assumpto Iaconelli Jr. & Edson Borges Jr.

Authors
  1. Amanda Souza Setti
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  2. Daniela Paes de Almeida Ferreira Braga
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  3. Livia Vingris
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  4. Rita de Cassia Savio Figueira
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  5. Assumpto Iaconelli Jr.
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  6. Edson Borges Jr.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edson Borges Jr..

Additional information

Capsule The evaluation of sperm morphology under high-magnification is a prognostic tool in the prediction of ICSI success in couples undergoing ICSI as a result of male factor.

Clinical trial ID: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01727947

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Setti, A.S., de Almeida Ferreira Braga, D.P., Vingris, L. et al. The prevalence of sperm with large nuclear vacuoles is a prognostic tool in the prediction of ICSI success. J Assist Reprod Genet 31, 307–312 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0157-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0157-0

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