Is there any correlation between sperm parameters and chromatin quality with embryo morphokinetics in patients with male infertility

Background: Human sperm DNA damage may adversely affect the embryo quality.Objective: The main goal was to evaluate the correlation between sperm parameters and chromatin quality with embryo kinetics via time-lapse monitoring system (TLM) in a single embryo transfer (SET).Materials and Methods: A total of 40 couples involved in the ICSI program as a result of male infertility. For assessment of sperm chromatin and DNA quality, we used aniline blue, toluidine blue, chromomycin A3, acridine orange and terminal transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin end labelling assays. All mature oocytes were injected, and the generated zygotes (2PNs) were cultured in TLM. In day 3 after injection, single embryo transfer (SET) was carried out according to the morphology and morphokinetics. The patients were followed up until delivery.Results: There were positive significant correlations between sperm count with CC2 (r=0.330, p=0.049), T4 (r=0.329, p=0.038), T6 (r=0.342, p=0.035) and T7 (r=0.374, p=0.025). Also, there were positive significant correlations between non-progressive motility and T2 (r=0.323, p=0.042), T3 (r=0.411, p=0.013) and T4 (r=0.418, p=0.007). Regarding the sperm chromatin quality assays, there were negative significant correlations between CMA3 and CC2 (r=0.272, p=0.049) and between acridine orange and T5 (r=0.221, p=.040). There were also significant differences between t2 with implantation rate (p=0.039) and t3 with clinical pregnancy rate (p=0.032). None of the tests had significant differences with ART outcomes except TB test that had noticeable relationship with the LBR (p=0.035).Conclusion: It seems that the abnormal sperm parameters and chromatin alteration had influential roles on embryo kinetics in patients with male factor infertility.

Keywords:

Chromatin , Embryo kinetics , Intracytoplasmic sperm injection , Sperm parameters , Time lapse