Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics logoLink to Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
. 2000 Sep;17(8):431–436. doi: 10.1023/A:1009413201849

Very Low Sperm Count Affects the Result of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

D STRASSBURGER 1, S FRIEDLER 1, A RAZIEL 1, M SCHACHTER 1, E KASTERSTEIN 1, R RON-EL 1
PMCID: PMC3455570  PMID: 11062853

Abstract

Purpose: The aim was to examine the influence of extremelylow sperm count on intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI) outcome.

Methods: Over 1000 consecutive unselected ICSI cycleswere divided into four groups according to spermconcentration of their patients: A, cryptozoospermia, 107 patients; B,sperm concentration of ≤ 1×104, 146 patients; C, spermcount of 1×104–1×105, 135 patients; and concentration of≤ 1×105 and < 10×106/ml (control group), 688 patients.

Results: A significant decrease in pregnancy rate wasnoticed in the cryptozoospermic group in comparison to thecontrol group (20% vs. 31%). Fertilization rate in group Awas significantly lower in comparison to all other groups,respectively (46% vs. 52%, 54%, 61%). Embryo quality wasinferior in group A in comparison to the control group. Ahigher yet not statistically significant abortion rate wasobserved in the cryptozoospermic group (as well as in groupC) (30%, 27%) compared to the control group (15%).

Conclusions: It seems that an extremely low sperm counthas a negative effect on the outcome of ICSI. Neverthelesspatients with cryptozoospermia should not be offered ICSItreatment with the ejaculated sperm before karyotype isestablished.

Keywords: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection, fertilization rate, sperm count, cryptozoospermia

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (37.0 KB).

REFERENCES

  • 1.Van Steirteghem A, Nagy Z, Joris H, Liu J, Staessen C, Smitz J, Wisanto D, Devroey P. High fertilization and implantation rates after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod. 1993;8:1061–1066. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a138192. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Harari O, Bourne H, McDonald M, Richings N, Speirs A, Johnston HW, Baker HW. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a major advance in the management of severe male subfertility. Fertil Steril. 1995;64:360–368. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)57736-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Nagy J, Liu J, Joris H, Verheyen G, Tournaye H, Camus M, Derde PM, Devroey P, van Steirteghem AC. The result of intracytoplasmic sperm injection is not related to any of the three basic sperm parameters. Hum Reprod. 1995;10:1123–1129. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a136104. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Kupker W, Al-Hasani S, Schulze W, Kuhnel W, Schill T, Felberbaum R, Diedrich K. Morphology in intracytoplasmic sperm injection: preliminary results. J Assist Reprod Gen. 1995;12:620–626. doi: 10.1007/BF02212586. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Tasdemir I, Tasdemir J, Tavukcuoglu S, Kahraman S, Beberoglu K. Effect of abnormal sperm head morphology on the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in humans. Hum Reprod. 1997;12:1214–1217. doi: 10.1093/humrep/12.6.1214. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Nijs M, Vanderzwalmen P, Vandamme B, Segal-Bertin G, Lejeune B, Segal L, VanRoosendall E, Schoysman R. Fertility ability of immotile spermatozoa after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod. 1996;11:2180–2185. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a019073. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Ron-El R, Strassburger D, Friedler S, Komarowsky D, Bern O, Soffer Y, Raziel A. Extended sperm preparation: An alternative to testicular sperm extraction in non-obstruction azoospermia. Hum Reprod. 1997;12:1222–1226. doi: 10.1093/humrep/12.6.1222. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Wilkins L. i., Hornstein MS. Oligospermic men: The role of karyotype analysis prior to intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertil Steril. 1997;67:612–614. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(97)81352-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm-Cervical Mucus Interaction. 3rd ed. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press; 1992. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Ron-El R, Herman A, Golan A, Nachum H, Soffer Y, Caspi E. Gonadotropins and combined gonadotropin realeasing hormone agonist-gonadotopin protocols in a randomized prospective study. Fertil steril. 1991;55:574–578. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Nagy ZP, Joris H, Liu J, Staessen C, Devroey P, Van Steirteghem AC. Intracytoplasmic single sperm injection of 1 day-old unfertilized human oocytes. Hum Reprod. 1993;8:2180–2184. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a138000. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Palmero G, Joris H, Derde MP, Camus M, Devroey P, van Steirteghem AC. Sperm characteristics and outcome of human assisted fertilization by subzonal insemination and intracytoplasmic injection. Fertil Steril. 1993;59:826–835. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)55867-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Lopes S, San JG, Jurisicova A, Meriano J, Casper RF. Sperm deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation is increased in poor-quality semen samples and correlates with failed fertilization in intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fertil Steril. 1998;69:528–532. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(97)00536-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Hewitson L, Simerly C, Schatten G. Inheritance defects of the sperm centrosome in humans and its possible role in male infertility. Int Androl. 1997;20:35–43. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Montag K, van der Ven K, Ved S, Schmutzler A, Price HG, Krebs D, Peschka B, Schwanitz G, Albers P, Haide G, van der Ven H. Success of intracytoplasmic sperm injection in couples Bebewith male and or female chromosomal aberrations. Hum Reprod. 1997;12:2635–2640. doi: 10.1093/humrep/12.12.2635. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Baker HWG, Liu DY, Bourne H, Lopata A. Diagnosis of sperm defects in selecting patients for assisted fertilization. Hum Reprod. 1993;8:1779–1780. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a137932. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Reijo R, Alagappan RK, Patrizio P, Page D. Severe oligoazoospermia resulting from deletions of azoospermia factor gene on Y chromosome. Lancet. 1996;347:1290–1293. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(96)90938-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 18.De Braekeieer M, Dao TN. Cytogenetic studies in male infertility: A review. Hum Reprod. 1991;6:245–250. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Chandley AC. Infertility and chromosome abnormality. Oxford Rev Reprod Biol. 1984;6:1–46. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Kjessler B: Karyotype, meiosis and spermatogenesis in a sam-ple of men attending an infertile clinic. Monogr Human Genet 1996;2 [PubMed]
  • 21.Ron-El R, Nachum H, Herman A, Golan A, Caspi E, Soffer Y. Delayed fertilization and poor embryonic development associated with impaired semen quality. Fertil Steril. 1991;55:338–344. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)54127-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Janny I, Menezo YVO. Development and blastocyst formation. Mol Rep Dev. 1994;38:36–42. doi: 10.1002/mrd.1080380107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.Thanki KH, Gagliardi CL, Schmidth CL. Poor in vitro fertilization outcome with semen yielding low sperm density “swim-ups” is not because of altered sperm motion parameters. Fertil Steril. 1992;58:770–775. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(16)55326-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Enginsu ME, Pieters MH, Dumoulin JC, Evers JC, Geraedts JP. Male factor as determinant of in vitro fertilization outcome. Hum Reprod. 1992;7:1136–1140. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a137808. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Kiefer D, Check JH, Katsoff D. Evidence that oligoasthenozoospermia may be an etiologic factor for spontaneous abortion after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Fert Steril. 1997;68:545–548. doi: 10.1016/s0015-0282(97)00235-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Hamamah S, Fignon A, Lansac J. The effect of male factor in repeated spontaneous abortion: Lessons from in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod. 1997;3:393–400. doi: 10.1093/humupd/3.4.393. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Plachot M. Genetic risks associated with intra cytoplasmic sperm injection. Contracept Fertil Sex. 1996;24:577–580. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics are provided here courtesy of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

RESOURCES