Morphologically normal spermatozoa of patients with secretory oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia have an increased aneuploidy rate.
BACKGROUND
Normal morphology is a major criterion for selecting spermatozoa to be injected. Given that teratozoospermia is one of the most critical parameters associated with sperm aneuploidy, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the aneuploidy rate of morphologically normal spermatozoa of patients with oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia (OAT).


METHODS
Ten patients with secretory OAT and six age-matched normozoospermic men with a normal karyotype were enrolled. After assignment to normal or abnormal category, the location of each spermatozoon was recorded using an electronic microstage locator. Slides were then subjected to triple-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization for chromosomes X, Y and 12.


RESULTS
OAT patients had a lower number of morphologically normal and abnormal spermatozoa carrying the X chromosome, compared with normozoospermic men. They also exhibited increased XY and XX disomy rates. Morphologically abnormal spermatozoa from normozoospermic men also had an increased XX disomy rate compared with normally shaped spermatozoa obtained from the same men. The total sperm aneuploidy rate of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa of normozoospermic men was 4.4-fold higher than that of spermatozoa with normal morphology. The total aneuploidy rates of spermatozoa with normal or abnormal head shape from OAT patients were similar to each other and to that of abnormally shaped spermatozoa from normozoospermic men, but they were higher than the rate found in normally shaped spermatozoa of normal men.


CONCLUSIONS
Normally shaped spermatozoa of OAT patients have an increased aneuploidy rate.
Section of Endocrinology, Andrology and Internal Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, and Master in Andrological and Human Reproduction Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Nunziatina
N
Burrello
Giuseppe
G
Arcidiacono
Enzo
E
Vicari
Paola
P
Asero
Daniela
D
Di Benedetto
Adele
A
De Palma
Rosa
R
Romeo
Rosario
R
D'Agata
Aldo E
AE
Calogero
D000328:Adult; D000782:Aneuploidy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002881:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 12; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000648:ultrastructure*