Comparison of the sperm aneuploidy rate in severe oligozoospermic and oligozoospermic men and its relation to intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of disomy and diploidy for chromosomes 18, X, and Y in the sperm samples of severe oligozoospermic (<5 x 10(6) spermatozoa/mL) and oligozoospermic (5-20 x 10(6) spermatozoa/mL) men undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and to evaluate the influence of sperm aneuploidy on pregnancy outcome.

DESIGN: Prospective study.

SETTING: Infertility clinic and genetic laboratory.

PATIENT(S): Fifteen patients with severe oligozoospermia, 15 patients with oligozoospermia, and 10 normal fertile donors.

INTERVENTION(S): Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) performed on sperm samples.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The frequency of disomy and diploidy for chromosomes 18, X, and Y was analyzed using FISH, and the clinical outcome after ICSI was correlated.

RESULT(S): Significantly greater frequencies of XY, YY disomy and diploidy were observed in severe oligozoospermic men compared with oligozoospermic and normozoospermic men. Although the fertilization rate was similar, the pregnancy rate was higher in the group with oligozoospermia versus severe oligozoospermia.

CONCLUSION(S): This study demonstrated the presence of an elevated sperm aneuploidy rate in patients with low semen quality. Additionally, the data show a negative influence of sperm chromosome abnormalities on ICSI outcome.