J Korean Med Sci.  2012 Dec;27(12):1569-1573. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.12.1569.

Application of Sperm Selection Using Hyaluronic Acid Binding in Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Cycles: A Sibling Oocyte Study

• Choe SA
• Tae JC
• Shin MY
• Kim HJ
• Kim CH
• Lee JY
• Hwang D
• Kim KC
• Suh CS
• Jee BC

• KMID: 2157984
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.12.1569

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sperm selection by hyaluronic acid (HA) binding could improve fertilization rate and embryo quality in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. Two hundred nineteen oocytes obtained from eighteen women were injected with either HA-bound (n = 107) or conventionally selected spermatozoa (n = 112) in a randomized way. All of the participants were infertile couples who had normal sperm parameters but low fertilization rate in previous in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle (n = 5) or experienced multiple IVF failures (n = 13). Lower fertilization (75.7% vs 83.0%) and cleavage rate on day 2 (72.9% vs 83.0%) was observed in oocytes injected with HA-bound spermatozoa than the conventional group, but the difference was not significant. Significantly lower cleavage rate was observed on day 3 in HA group (56.0% vs 69.6%, P = 0.038). Blastocyst formation rate and the number of transferred embryos were similar in both groups. In multiple IVF failure patients, significantly reduced fertilization rate (71.8% vs 85.3%, P = 0.046) and cleavage rate on day 2 (70.4% vs 85.3%, P = 0.029) and day 3 (53.5% vs 77.3%, P = 0.002) were noticed in HA group. Five women achieved pregnancy continuing more than 12 weeks after transfer (27.8%). Success of ICSI was not related with the number of embryos fertilized by HA-bound spermatozoa. Application of ICSI by sperm selection using HA binding is not helpful in couples with repeated poor fertilization or implantation despite normal sperm parameters.

Keyword

Hyaluronic Acid; Sperm Selection; Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection

MeSH Terms

Adult
Blastocyst/cytology
Embryo Transfer
Female
*Fertilization in Vitro
Humans
Hyaluronic Acid/*pharmacology
Infertility, Male/therapy
Male
Oocytes/cytology/physiology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Rate
Prospective Studies
*Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
Spermatozoa/*drug effects/physiology
Hyaluronic Acid

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