Sperm chromatin condensation defects and IVF outcomes: a retrospective cohort study

The clinical impact of sperm chromatin condensation defects (SCCD) on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to clarify the effects of SCCD on embryonic development, pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes in couples undergoing their first IVF cycle.

This retrospective cohort study included 647 couples. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between SCCD (assessed by aniline blue staining) and clinical outcomes, with stratification and generalized additive models employed to identify effect modifiers and nonlinear relationships.

Elevated SCCD levels (≥30%) were correlated with abnormal conventional semen parameters and a reduced two-pronuclei (2PN) cleavage rate, whereas no significant associations were observed with spontaneous abortion, gestational age, birth weight, or neonatal sex distribution. After adjusting for key confounders, increasing SCCD levels remained independently associated with reduced clinical pregnancy (OR = 0.98, P = 0.01) and live birth rates (OR = 0.98, P = 0.02), and no significant effect modification by any subgroup variable was observed (all P for interaction > 0.05). Moreover, individuals with SCCD levels ≥30% showed a trend toward substantially reduced clinical pregnancy (OR = 0.64, P = 0.05) and live birth rates (OR = 0.65, P = 0.06). Nonlinear analysis further identified a significant risk threshold for live birth at 10.6% (OR = 0.86, P = 0.01), with risk plateauing until a declining trend emerged beyond 24.1%.

This study provides evidence that SCCD is independently associated with reduced IVF success, supporting its assessment in pre-IVF evaluation.