title: Efficacy of testicular sperm chromatin condensation assay using aniline blue-eosin staining in the IVF-ET cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to evaluate testicular sperm chromatin condensation using aniline blue-eosin (AB-E) staining and its effects on IVF-ET.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chromatin condensation was analyzed using AB-E staining in 27 cases of testicular sperm extraction. There were 19 cases of obstructive azoospermia (OA) and 8 cases of non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) in IVF-ET. Mature sperm heads were stained red-pink whereas immature sperm heads were stained dark blue. The percentage of sperm chromatin condensation was calculated from the ratio of the number of red-pink sperm to the total number of sperm analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall percentages of chromatin condensation in OA and NOA were 31.1±11.2% and 26.3±14.4%, respectively. The fertilization rate was significant higher in OA than NOA (p<0.05); however, the rates of good embryos and clinical pregnancy did not show statistical differences. In OA and NOA, statistical differences were not observed in the rate of chromatin condensation, fertilization, good embryos, and clinical pregnancy between the pregnant group and non-pregnant group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chromatin condensation is less stable than OA and showed a low fertilization rate in NOA. While there were no significant differences in chromatin condensation results between NOA and OA, we propose that a pattern of decreased chromatin condensation in NOA is one of the factors of low fertilization results requiring further study.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Kwandong University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Seog
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Myo Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: In Ok
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ju Tae
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Seo