Aneuploidy frequencies in semen fractions from ten oligoasthenoteratozoospermic patients donating sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Objective: To determine aneuploidy frequencies in pellet and swim-up semen fractions from 10 infertile men with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) who were donating sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection and to determine whether the swim-up isolation method would successfully separate aneuploid from haploid sperm. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Infertility clinic and molecular genetics laboratory. Patient(s): Ten patients with severe OAT. Intervention(s): Cytogenetic analyses by fluorescence in situ hybridization to determine aneuploidy frequencies for chromosomes 1, 13, 18, 21, X, and Y in sperm from swim-up and pellet fractions. Main Outcome Measure(s): Gametic aneuploidy was scored in sperm fractions separated by the swim-up technique and clinical results after intracytoplasmic sperm injection were tabulated. Result(s): In all cases, chromosome aneuploidy levels in patients were significantly greater than in controls. The type and percentage of aneuploid sperm for all patients with OAT found in both swim-up and pellet fractions were not different, with the exception of diploid sperm, which remained in the pellet fraction. After ET, 2 (20%) of 10 couples achieved successful pregnancies. Conclusion(s): The data show significantly higher rates of diploidy, autosomal disomy and nullisomy, sex chromosome disomy and nullisomy, and total aneuploidy in sperm from all separated fractions obtained from all patients with OAT versus controls. This patient population with OAT may be at increased risk of producing aneuploid offspring.