title: Comparison of the effect of different media on the clinical outcomes of the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up and swim-up methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sperm must be properly prepared in in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) programs in order to control the fertilization rate and ensure that embryos are of high quality and have appropriate developmental abilities. The objective of this study was to determine the most optimal sperm preparation method for IVF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients less than 40 years of age who participated in a fresh IVF-ET cycle from November 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. Poor responders with less than three mature oocytes were excluded. Ham's F-10 medium or sperm-washing medium (SWM) was used in combination with the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up (DGC-SUP) or SUP methods for sperm preparation. A total of 429 fresh IVF-ET cycles were grouped according to the media and methods used for sperm preparation and retrospectively analyzed (DGC-SUP/Ham's F-10, n=82; DGC-SUP/SWM, n=43; SUP/Ham's F-10, n=181; SUP/SWM, n=123).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences among these four groups with respect to the mean age of the female partners, duration of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and retrieved oocytes. We determined that both the DGC-SUP and SUP methods for sperm preparation from whole semen, using either Ham's F-10 or SWM media, result in comparable clinical outcomes, including fertilization and pregnancy rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that both media and both methods for sperm preparation can be used for selecting high-quality sperm for assistive reproductive technology programs.
authors: Fertility Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Eun-Kyung
authors: EK
authors: Kim
authors: Fertility Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Eun-Ha
authors: EH
authors: Kim
authors: Fertility Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Eun-Ah
authors: EA
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Kyung-Ah
authors: KA
authors: Lee
authors: Fertility Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea. ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Ji-Eun
authors: JE
authors: Shin
authors: Fertility Center, CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea. ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CHA University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Hwang
authors: H
authors: Kwon
keywords: Assisted reproductive technology; Density gradient centrifugation; In vitro fertilization; Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection; Swim-up