The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic significance of a sperm penetration assay (SPA) for predicting IVF outcomes in different age groups of infertile male patients. The patients were divided into 4 age groups, including a first fertile control group (G1: n = 20, aged 20 to 60 yr; G2: n = 25, aged 20 to 30 yr; G3: n = 40, aged 31 to 40 yr; and G4: n = 10, aged >41 yr). Seminal fluid analysis, SPA, and IVF were performed. Sperm concentration, motility, motility grade, and morphology were significantly (P < 0.01) higher in G1 compared with the other groups. Sperm parameters in G4 were also significantly (P < 0.05) lower compared with other groups, except in the sperm morphology percentages. Sperm penetration rate (SPR) was significantly higher in G2 v. G3 and G4 (31.6 v. 26.6 and 24.2, respectively; P < 0.05). The sperm penetration index was similar in G2, G3, and G4 (P > 0.05). The SPR in hamster oocytes was positively correlated with the sperm grade of motility (r = 0.80, P < 0.01), and normal sperm morphology (r = 0.81, P < 0.01) in infertile men (n = 75). The sperm penetration percentage in human oocytes was positively correlated with sperm motility, grade of motility, and normal sperm morphology (r = 60, P < 0.01) in infertile men. No positive correlation with human sperm concentrations was observed in hamster and human oocytes (r = 0.34, P < 0.01). The IVF rates were significantly, positively correlated with SPR of zona-free hamster oocytes (P < 0.001, r = 0.7). The results of the present study demonstrate that the SPA is a more sensitive screening tool than the seminal fluid analysis for predicting IVF outcomes, and it is positively correlated with human IVF scores.
The authors thank Baghdad University and the director of Baghdad Teaching Hospital for their kind cooperation. The authors also thank the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for their financial support.
Abnormal sperm morphology and other semen parameters related to the outcome of the hamster oocyte human sperm penetration assay
