title: ICSI outcome is not associated with the incidence of spermatozoa with abnormal chromatin condensation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The condensation of sperm chromatin during spermiogenesis and epididymal transport is of essential importance for fertilization. The main purpose of this study was to examine whether abnormalities of sperm nuclear condensation can influence the outcome of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen samples from 154 ICSI cycles were studied. Before semen preparation for ICSI, basic semen analysis was performed and a small portion from each sample was fixed. The condensation of sperm nuclear chromatin was evaluated with chromomycin A3 under a fluorescence microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of spermatozoa with abnormal chromatin condensation was positively correlated with sperm concentration (p = 0.020565), but was not correlated with other semen parameters such as morphology and motility. Abnormal chromatin condensation was also not correlated with fertilization rate, cumulative embryo score or pregnancy rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The above results indicate that ICSI outcome is not influenced by the incidence of spermatozoa with abnormal chromatin condensation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Democritus University of Thrace, Dragana, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Spyros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karydis
authors.forename: Byron
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Asimakopoulos
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Vakalopoulos
authors.forename: Safaa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Hasani
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikolettos
mesh_terms: D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014128:Chromomycin A3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D014128:Chromomycin A3