Pregnancies after ICSI using sperm with abnormal head-tail junction from two brothers: case report

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Genetics
• Infertility Research

Background:

• Primary infertility in males can stem from sperm structural abnormalities, including acephaly or head-midpiece attachment defects.
• Genetic factors are often implicated in these sperm morphology syndromes, though phenotypic variability exists.

Observation:

• Two couples with male partners exhibiting acephalic or abnormal head-midpiece attachment sperm underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
• Sperm analysis utilized transmission electron microscopy and immunocytochemistry with an anti-MPM2 monoclonal antibody.
• Pregnancies were achieved through ICSI, with one couple having a healthy child and the other experiencing a triple pregnancy with fetal growth restriction.

Findings:

• Successful ongoing pregnancies and live births were achieved via ICSI in cases with severe sperm head and midpiece developmental defects.
• The study highlights the efficacy of ICSI in overcoming male infertility caused by specific sperm structural abnormalities.
• Phenotypic heterogeneity among similar cases suggests diverse underlying genetic causes for these syndromes.

Implications:

• ICSI offers a viable treatment option for couples facing male infertility due to sperm head-midpiece attachment defects.
• Further research into the genetic underpinnings of these sperm abnormalities is warranted to understand the observed phenotypic heterogeneity.
• This case report expands the understanding of ICSI's potential in treating complex male factor infertility.