title: [Sperm-oocyte interaction and in vitro fertilization clinical outcomes in patients with unexplained infertility].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the sperm-zona pellucida (ZP) binding and ZP-induced acrosome reaction in patients with unexplained infertility, and to discuss the relationship between ZP-induced acrosome reaction and fertilization rate.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the fertilization rate and good embryo rate in patients with unexplained infertility after fertilization in 2 ways. Based on the causes of infertility, patients were divided into an unexplained infertility group (Group A) and a pure female tubal factor group (Group B). Oocytes which were obtained by super ovulation from 25 patients with unexplained infertility were randomly divided into 2 groups with conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) (Group A1) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertilization (Group A2). The pure female tubal factor group (Group B) had conventional IVF. We conducted sperm-ZP binding and ZP-induced acrosome reaction experiments with 2 groups of men's sperms separately. We compared the number of sperm-egg binding and ZP-induced acrosome reaction rate and discussed the relationship between the ZP-induced acrosome reaction and fertilization rate, and also the fertilization rate, good embryo rate and pregnancy rate in patients with unexplained infertility after fertilization in 2 ways.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average number of sperm-egg binding (78.29 ± 16.31) and the ZP-induced acrosome reaction rate (55.87 ± 27.69) % in Group A were lower than those of Group B [94.63 ± 6.72, (82.53 ± 17.99)%]. The difference between the average number of sperm-egg binding and the ZP-induced acrosome reaction was significant (P <0.01). The fertilization rate of Group A1 was significantly lower than that of Group B and Group A2 (P <0.01). But there was no significant difference in the good embryo rate among the 3 groups. There was no significant difference between Group A2 and B in fertilization rate and good embryo rate (P <0.05). There was no significant difference in pregnancy rate between Group A and B (P <0.05). Fertilization rate and the rate of acrosome reaction had marked positive correlation with statistical significance (r =0.932, P <0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ZP binding and ZP-induced acrosome reaction are very important experiments in sperm function test for patients with unexplained infertility. It can not only effectively avoid no embryo transferring due to complete failure of fertilization but also get a desirable outcome of pregnancy using half-ICSI fertilization in patients with unexplained infertility.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medical Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China. liunenghui@126.com
authors.forename: Nenghui
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhenhui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dong'e
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xianhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhongyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology