title: Sperm penetration assay in predicting successful in vitro fertilization. A meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if the performance of the sperm penetration assay (SPA) is useful in predicting successful in vitro fertilization (IVF).
  
  
  METHODS
  A meta-analysis was set up to determine the performance of SPA in the prediction of IVF success. We collected data on 647 patients in 24 studies. For each study, a two-by-two table was constructed from the results of SPA and IVF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of SPA as compared to IVF were heterogeneous. A summary receiver operating characteristics curve could be estimated, showing that the sensitivity of SPA was only 37%, with a specificity of 95%. Subgroup analysis did not explain the lack of homogeneity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since withholding IVF inappropriately has major consequences, performing SPA is insufficient for selecting patients for treatment with IVF-embryo transfer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. b.w.mol@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuppa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van der Veen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D016239:MEDLINE; D008297:Male; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions