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Real-time fine morphology of motile human sperm cells is associated with IVF-ICSI outcome

Benjamin Bartoov1, Arie Berkovitz, Fina Eltes

  • 1Male Fertility Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. bartoob@mail.biu.ac.il

Journal of Andrology
|January 10, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Subtle sperm nucleus defects, undetectable in routine checks, impact intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) success rates. The motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) can identify these critical sperm morphological characteristics.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Andrology
  • In Vitro Fertilization

Background:

  • Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is a key assisted reproductive technology.
  • Routine sperm selection may overlook subtle morphological defects impacting ICSI outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of subtle sperm morphological characteristics on ICSI outcomes.
  • To identify specific sperm morphological traits relevant to ICSI success.

Main Methods:

  • Development and application of the motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME).
  • Real-time examination using high-power microscopy (up to 6300x magnification) with Nomarski optics and digital imaging.
  • Analysis of leftover sperm fractions from 100 couples undergoing ICSI.

Main Results:

  • Sperm morphological normalcy (MSOME criteria) correlated positively with ICSI fertilization rate (AUC 88%) but not pregnancy outcome.
  • Sperm nucleus morphological normalcy (MSOME criteria) significantly correlated with both fertilization rate (AUC 72%) and pregnancy outcome (AUC 74%).
  • Subtle sperm nucleus malformations, missed in routine selection, may affect ICSI pregnancy rates.

Conclusions:

  • Subtle sperm nucleus morphological defects significantly influence ICSI fertilization and pregnancy rates.
  • MSOME offers a more detailed assessment of sperm morphology than routine methods.
  • Improved sperm selection based on detailed morphology may enhance ICSI efficacy.

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