Table 3.

Characteristics of nuclear vacuoles in infertile males with varying degrees of abnormal sperm morphology

Variable (%)	Group A (n=20)	Group B (n=65)	Group C (n=56)	Group D (n=36)	Group E (n=28)
NVs incidence	95.5±4.0**	84.8±8.0**	74.5±7.0**	61.7±6.8**	39.0±11.8
Type “a” of sperm	0.7±0.7**	3.8±2.5**	9.6±4.6**	21.2±5.8**	41.2±9.0
Type “b” of sperm	0.6±0.6**	3.0±2.0**	6.8±4.2	10.3±3.3	8.2±4.0
Type “c” of sperm	0.4±0.6	0.5±0.8	0.7±1.1	0.4±0.5	0.4±0.7
Type “d” of sperm	0.3±0.5	1.4±1.3	1.5±2.8	0.8±1.2	1.4±2.2
Type “e” of sperm	0.7±0.7*	1.5±2.2	1.9±2.5	2.7±2.3	2.6±1.5
Type “f” of sperm	0.1±0.3	0.3±0.7	0.2±0.5	0.3±0.6	0.3±0.6
Type “g” of sperm	3.8±3.9**	11.3±7.0**	15.8±5.5*	17.1±4.7	19.8±5.9
Type “h” of sperm	12.5±5.3	14.7±6.7**	15.1±6.4**	13.7±6.3*	8.9±4.8
Type “i” of sperm	2.0±1.5*	1.7±2.0**	1.0±1.4	0.5±0.9	0.5±0.7
Type “j” of sperm	31.1±5.7**	24.8±6.6**	21.3±5.9**	15.6±4.8**	7.6±4.8
Type “k” of sperm	34.9±6.1**	26.2±6.6**	19.3±5.8**	12.9±5.2**	6.6±5.7
Type “l” of sperm	0.7±0.9	0.8±1.5	0.4±0.6	0.3±0.5	0.3±0.5
Type “m” of sperm	6.0±3.9**	5.2±3.5**	3.4±2.1*	3.0±1.7	1.5±1.6
Type “n” of sperm	5.6±2.7**	4.1±2.5**	2.3±2.1**	1.3±1.4	0.5±0.7

^*P<0.05; ^**P<0.01 (the indicated value vs that of Group E). Data are presented as mean±standard deviation. Group A: abnormal spermatozoa=100%; Group B: abnormal spermatozoa >96% and ≤99%; Group C: abnormal spermatozoa >93% and ≤96%; Group D: abnormal spermatozoa ≤93%; Group E: control group. NV: nuclear vacuole