title: The relationship between sperm head retardance using polarized light microscopy and clinical outcomes.
abstract: In human sperm head, birefringence can be seen under polarized light resulting from highly ordered structures within the acrosome and nucleus. Selecting sperm with partial head birefringence improves success of clinical pregnancies in patients with severe male factor infertility. The aim of this study was to establish a range of retardance in sperm heads using polarized light microscopy to select an optimum sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Sperm heads of 63 couples undergoing ICSI in women aged 38 years or younger were imaged at the time of ICSI and later analysed for retardance blinded to embryo and cycle outcomes. Sperm head retardance was similar irrespective of whether fertilization occurred. Quality of embryos on day 3 and day 5 were higher when sperm were selected with head retardance ranging from 0.56 nm or greater to 0.91 nm or less. Selection of sperm with head retardance ranging from 0.56 nm or greater to 0.91 nm or less was associated with higher clinical pregnancy rates (OR 3.74 95% CI 1.43 to 9.77). Optimum sperm for selection at the time of ICSI was with head retardance within the range 0.56 nm or greater to 0.91 nm or less.
authors.affiliation: IVF Australia, 1/225 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, Sydney, NSW 2035, Australia; School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: belindavermey@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Belinda G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Vermey
authors.affiliation: IVF Australia, 1/225 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, Sydney, NSW 2035, Australia; School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: IVF Australia, 1/225 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, Sydney, NSW 2035, Australia; School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.affiliation: IVF Australia, 1/225 Maroubra Road, Maroubra, Sydney, NSW 2035, Australia; School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, High Street, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
authors.forename: Suha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kilani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D010062:Ovulation Induction; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D013077:Sperm Head; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: ICSI; polarized light microscopy; pregnancy outcome; sperm head birefringence; sperm head retardance