Morphological sperm defects analyzed by light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and their correlation with sperm motility.
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.
Visco
Vincenzo
V
Department of Experimental Medicine, Pasteur Institute - Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy. vincenzo.visco1@uniroma1.it
Raffa
Salvatore
S
Elia
Jlenia
J
Delfino
Michele
M
Imbrogno
Norina
N
Torrisi
Maria Rosaria
MR
Mazzilli
Fernando
F
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