The transcriptome of spermatozoa used in homologous intrauterine insemination varies considerably between samples that achieve pregnancy and those that do not.
OBJECTIVE
To differentiate transcripts' expression in the sperm from patients who achieved pregnancy in their first IUI cycle from those who did not. Basic sperm analysis is limited to forecasting pregnancies by means of assisted reproduction. New assays, such as microarray analysis, are potential predictive tools for this purpose.


METHODS
Nested case-control study.


METHODS
University-affiliated private setting.


METHODS
Twenty sperm samples were obtained from infertile males undergoing their first IUI cycle with healthy partners. Sperm samples with which pregnancy was achieved (P; n=10) and those with which it was not achieved (NP; n=10) were identified and their respective messenger RNA expression profiles were compared.


METHODS
None.


METHODS
Using microarrays, global genome expression was compared in pooled samples from each group. Results were evaluated to detect differentially expressed transcripts (TDEs; FC>2; P<0.05) and to identify those transcripts that were expressed in only one of the groups (exclusive transcripts [ETs]).


RESULTS
In group P, 756 TDEs presented increased expression, whereas 194 in group NP were found to be overexpressed. Furthermore, we found 741 ETs that were expressed only in group P and 976 that were expressed only in group NP.


CONCLUSIONS
Results reveal profound differences between expression profiles of sperm samples that impregnate successfully and those that do not. These differences might improve the predictive power of sperm evaluation to estimate IUI success by complementing the basic sperm analysis.
Instituto Universitario IVI Valencia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Sandra
S
García-Herrero
Instituto Universitario IVI Valencia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Marcos
M
Meseguer
Instituto Universitario IVI Valencia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
José Antonio
JA
Martínez-Conejero
Instituto Universitario IVI Valencia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
José
J
Remohí
Instituto Universitario IVI Valencia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Antonio
A
Pellicer
Instituto Universitario IVI Valencia, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: nicolas.garrido@ivi.es.
Nicolás
N
Garrido
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007317:Insemination, Artificial, Homologous / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014599:Uterus