Correlation between the hypoosmotic swelling test and various sperm function tests.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) with other sperm function assays.


METHODS
The HOST was performed on 105 patients with idiopathic infertility. The results were compared with those of various other sperm function tests, including the sperm penetration assay (SPA), triple-stain technique for evaluating acrosomal reactions, and the in vitro cervical mucus penetration test (Penetrak).


RESULTS
A strong positive correlation was observed between percent sperm motility and the percent swollen sperm, between the motile sperm concentration and sperm swelling, and between sperm swelling and penetration values. Only a weak correlation was detected between sperm swelling and the percent sperm penetration. However, most of the cases with a sperm swelling percentage of 50% or more had good sperm penetration into ova.


CONCLUSIONS
The HOST was useful to evaluate sperm tail function and was found valuable as a screening test prior to the SPA.
Fuse
H
H
Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan.
Iwasaki
M
M
Katayama
T
T
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*