title: Sperm selected by both birefringence and motile sperm organelle morphology examination have reduced deoxyribonucleic acid fragmentation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate DNA fragmentation in single sperm selected by both birefringence and motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) with a single instrument.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen samples from 33 normozoospermic subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Birefringence and MSOME to distinguish different categories of sperm: nonbirefringent (category A), birefringent (category B), birefringent with nuclear vacuoles (category C), and birefringent with no nuclear vacuoles (category D). From each semen sample, sperm of any category were selected and further analyzed by TUNEL test.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 660 well-characterized sperm were evaluated for DNA fragmentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Category A showed a low percentage of sperm with normal MSOME results (19.4%) and high prevalence of DNA fragmentation (70.3%). Category B had 81.8% normal MSOME results, and in this group 31.8% had fragmentated DNA. Category C showed 31.8% and 92.6% DNA fragmentation in sperm with small and large nuclear vacuoles, respectively. Birefringent sperm with normal MSOME results and no vacuoles showed the lowest percentage of fragmented DNA (2.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sperm selection by birefringence or MSOME alone had one-third probability to select sperm with fragmented DNA. The lowest percentage of DNA fragmentation was found in birefringent sperm with no nuclear vacuoles and normal MSOME results. We suggest combining both methods using a single microscope and selecting sperm without nuclear vacuoles to get sperm with a higher chance of having intact DNA.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garolla
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cosci
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Menegazzo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Palo
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction and Gametes Cryopreservation, Department of Gynecology and Obstetric, I University Hospital of Bari, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ambrosini
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Barabara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sartini
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pizzol
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Pathology and Unit for Human Reproduction Pathology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: carlo.foresta@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foresta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001718:Birefringence; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015388:Organelles / Q000502:physiology*; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Birefringence; DNA fragmentation; MSOME; male infertility; sperm selection