title: Morphological sperm defects analyzed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and their correlation with sperm motility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare sperm defects as assessed by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and to correlate them with sperm motility.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 40 male partners of infertile couples was selected. Group 1 (n = 31) included subjects with motility >5 and <50%, group 2 (n = 9) included those with motility <5% and the control group consisted of 10 normospermic subjects. Semen analysis of morphological parameters was carried out by LM and TEM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A linear correlation between LM and TEM regarding head defects and excess residual cytoplasm (r = 0.87 and 0.90) was found, whereas there was a poor correlation between tail and midpiece anomalies (r = 0.46 and 0.21). No significant variations were detected by LM and TEM regarding sperm head defects and excess residual cytoplasm, whereas TEM showed a significantly greater percentage of tail and midpiece alterations compared with LM in groups 1 and 2, as well as controls (P < 0.05). The microtubular pattern '<9 + 2' represented the most frequent axonemal morphological alteration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TEM might represent an additional diagnostic tool in the presence of severe sperm hypomotility or absence of motility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Pasteur Institute - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy. vincenzo.visco1@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Visco
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Raffa
authors.forename: Jlenia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delfino
authors.forename: Norina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imbrogno
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Torrisi
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mazzilli
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology