title: Normal range and variation of the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in fertile men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the normal range of the zona pellucida (ZP)-induced acrosome reaction (AR) in fertile men.
  
  
  METHODS
  A study of normative data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic research and teaching tertiary hospital.None.Fertile men (n = 111) who had children or whose female partner was currently pregnant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE (S): Semen analysis, sperm-ZP binding, and the ZP-induced AR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was wide range for the ZP-induced AR: 20%-98% with a mean of 48%. The ZP-induced AR was significantly correlated with sperm concentration and normal morphology. The ZP-induced AR was significantly lower in men with sperm concentration <or=60 x 10(6)/mL than those with sperm concentration >60 x 10(6)/mL. Similarly, men with normal sperm morphology >or=15% had significantly higher ZP-induced AR than men with normal morphology <15%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a wide range of the ZP-induced AR in fertile men that is correlated with sperm concentration and normal morphology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria. dyl@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: De Yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: H W Gordon
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013076:Sperm Count; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*