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Evaluation of acrosomal status using MH61-beads test and its clinical application
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Objective:
To evaluate the acrosomal status of viable sperm by MH61-beads test and its clinical application.
Design:
Acrosomal status was evaluated using immunobeads coated with MH61 monoclonal antibody, which is specific for acrosome-reacted sperm. When viable sperm was coincubated with MH61-beads for an appropriate length of time, the formation of a sperm-bead complex was observed with a phase-contrast microscope, and the number of sperm binding to MH61-beads increased with the progression of the acrosome reaction. Using this agglutination, we developed the MH61-beads test to assess sperm function.
Setting:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Hospital.
Participants:
Forty-three volunteers and 20 males in our in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer program.
Main Outcome Measurement:
The results of MH61-beads test were compared with the percentage of acrosome-reacted sperm detected by Pisium satinum agglutinin staining on 30 volunteers, with the results of sperm penetration assay (SPA) in 43 volunteers, and with the outcome of IVF in 20 patients.
Results:
The results of MH61-beads test showed good reproducibility and correlated with the results of SPA using zona-free hamster eggs and IVF.
Conclusions:
The MH61-beads test, the results of which reflect the acrosomal status of sperm, may provide useful information concerning the fertilizing ability of sperm.