Correlation of Sperm Nuclear Chromatin Condensation Staining Method with Semen Parameters and Sperm Functional Tests in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury, Varicocele, and Idiopathic Infertility

• Main Authors: Shohreh Jalaie, Gholamreza Pourmand, Babak Jalalizadeh, Nasser Salsabili, Abdorasoul Mehrsai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Urology and Nephrology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences 2006-03-01
• Series: Urology Journal
• Online Access: http://www.urologyjournal.org/index.php/uj/article/view/212/209

<p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>Introduction</strong>: Our aim was to investigate sperm nuclear chromatin condensation and its correlation with semen parameters and vitality test in infertile patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), varicocele, and idiopathic infertility.</span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>Materials and Methods</strong>: Sperm chromatin condensation was determined by aniline blue staining in 22 SCI-injured infertile men, 20 with varicocele, and 28 with idiopathic infertility. The results were compared with the semen analysis parameters and the hypo-osmotic swelling test results. Threegrades of staining for sperm heads were distinguished: unstained, showing sperm maturity (G0); partially stained (G1); and completely stained, showing sperm immaturity (G2). The total score was calculated as: (G0 <span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">×</span> 0) + (G1 <span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">×</span> 1) + (G2 <span dir="rtl" lang="AR-SA">×</span> 2).</span></span></p><p class="MsoBodyTextIndent" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>Results</strong>: In all groups, the total staining score was higher than 75%, corresponding to a high degree of immaturity of sperm. Patients with SCI had a less sperm nuclear chromatin condensation and chromatin stability than patients with idiopathic infertility and varicocele (total scores, 98% versus 89% and 88%, respectively; P < .01). All of the patients had normal hypo-osmotic swelling test results. Sperm counts for all patients were within the reference range. The mean percentages for normal motility and morphology of the sperm were 15.5% and 15% for patients with SCI, 43% and 15% for patients with varicocele, and 62.5% and 54% for patients with idiopathic infertility. There was no correlation between sperm nuclear chromatin condensation and semen analysis parameters. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Aniline blue staining for sperm nuclear chromatin condensation is a method independent of semen analysis and demonstrates the internal structural defects of sperm. This method may have a predictive value in assessing fertility.</span></span></p>