title: Sperm content of postacrosomal WW binding protein is related to fertilization outcomes in patients undergoing assisted reproductive technology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the levels of postacrosomal WW binding protein (PAWP) in the spermatozoa of men that were used clinically for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to correlate them with infertility treatment outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical and laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-based laboratory and infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men undergoing ICSI for the treatment of couples' infertility (n=110).
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative analysis of sperm PAWP levels by flow cytometry and developmental analysis of PAWP expression by immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  METHODS
  PAWP flow-cytometric levels and immunolocalization in spermatozoa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A strong positive correlation was found between PAWP expression levels and fertilization rates after ICSI, with high levels of PAWP being associated with higher fertilization rates; the positive correlation was independent of age, DNA fragmentation index, and other sperm parameters. PAWP expression levels were correlated with embryonic development, with high levels of PAWP being associated with a lower number of arrested embryos within 3-5 days post-ICSI. PAWP expression was detected during the late stages of human spermiogenesis in elongating spermatids, confirming previous findings in various animal models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our clinical data from infertile couples demonstrate significant correlations between sperm PAWP levels and both fertilization rates and normal embryonic development after ICSI. Considering its proposed role in the initiation of oocyte activation, we suggest that PAWP could have potential applications in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aarabi
authors.affiliation: CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Balakier
authors.affiliation: CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Siamak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bashar
authors.affiliation: CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sergey I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Moskovtsev
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri; Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sutovsky
authors.affiliation: CReATe Fertility Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Clifford L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Librach
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, School of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: ro3@queensu.ca.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007246:Infertility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D013076:Sperm Count; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000009:adverse effects; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C519840:WBP2NL protein, human
keywords: Fertilization; assisted reproductive technology (ART); intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI); male infertility; perinuclear theca; postacrosomal WW binding protein (PAWP); sperm; spermiogenesis