Impact of freezing/thawing technique on sperm DNA integrity in HIV-1 patients.
BACKGROUND
According french legislation, sperm freezing/thawing procedures are used to prevent ART contaminations in couple with HIV-1 infected men. We determined sperm nuclear fragmentation rate before and after selection and freezing/thawing in HIV-1 14 patients.


METHODS
Two groups of patients were studied: 20 control patients with normal sperm (group 1) and without viral infection and 20 fertile treated HIV-1 patients (group 2). DNA fragmentation was evaluated using terminal uridine nick end labeling, before and after gradient selection, and after cryopreservation and thawing procedures.


RESULTS
DNA fragmentation rates in fresh semen were increased in HIV patients (6.38% vs 3.39%) (p < 0.05) compared with control patients. After sperm migration, fragmentation rates were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in the two groups compared with fresh sperm rates. After freezing/thawing, values were similar to those of fresh semen with an increased rate (p < 0.01) for HIV-1 patients, with respectively 3.40% and 5.18% rates in control and infected patients. HIV-1-infected patients treated by antiretroviral therapy showed a significant increase in sperm DNA fragmentation in fresh sperm and also after freezing/thawing procedures, but these two fragmentation rates were not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
So, freezing/thawing procedures do not seem to impair sperm DNA and preserve probability of conception for couples with HIV-1 infected men.
Frainais
Christophe
C
Hôpital Bichat/Claude Bernard, Paris, France. christophefrainais@yahoo.fr
Vialard
François
F
Rougier
Nathalie
N
Aegerther
Philippe
P
Damond
Florence
F
Ayel
Jean-Philippe
JP
Yazbeck
Chadi
C
Hazout
André
A
Selva
Jacqueline
J
D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D005298:Fertility; D005615:Freezing; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology
D004247:DNA