title: Using semen flow cytometry to evaluate association of ploidy status and chromatin condensation of spermatozoa with conventional semen parameters: clinical application in intrauterine insemination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between the ploidy status and the nuclear chromatin condensation of spermatozoa with conventional semen parameters by using semen flow cytometry (SFC). The prognostic value of SFC on the successful outcome of intrauterine insemination (IUI) was examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred to the IVF Unit of Ioannina University School of Medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two men with sperm count between 15×10(6) and 40×10(6) spermatozoa/mL and one hundred normozoospermic men were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Conventional semen analysis and SFC analysis after acridine orange and propidium iodide staining. IUI performed in 92 couples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Evaluation of sperm maturity and ploidy. Correlation with conventional semen parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An association of the spermatozoa ploidy status with sperm morphology and motility was revealed. The highest aneuploidy rates were observed when <15% of spermatozoa had normal morphology. An inverse relation was found between sperm morphology and maturity. The pregnancy rates were significantly lower when semen with <15% normal forms (9% vs. 25%), low percentage of mature spermatozoa, and increased total aneuploidy rate were used for IUI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ploidy status and sperm maturity are critical parameters for evaluation of the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa. SFC could be used to evaluate semen samples before IUI and potentially prognose the outcome.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ioannina University School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Leandros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lazaros
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaponis
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vartholomatos
authors.forename: Elissavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hatzi
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Botsari
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Plachouras
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Makrydimas
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zikopoulos
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sofikitis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Georgiou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin