Sperm chromatin structure assay predicts the outcome of intrauterine insemination / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA), as a clinically practical technique for the analysis of DNA damage, is rarely reported in China. This study focuses on the correlation of DNA damage with the pregnancy rate of intrauterine insemination (IUI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We performed semen analysis for 482 couples undergoing IUI, calculated the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) by SCSA, and observed the relationship between DFI and the pregnancy rate of IUI.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Clinical pregnancy was achieved in 5 (5.26%) of the 95 cases with DFI > 25%, and in 59 (15.25%) of the 387 cases with DFI < or = 25%. Those with sperm DFI >25% had significantly lower rates of biochemical pregnancy and clinical pregnancy than those with DFI < or = 25% (OR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14 - 0.96 and OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.16 - 0.97). No significant differences were found in the DFI of 54 cases between the first and the second cycle ([15.05 +/- 7.98]% vs [17.25 +/- 12.18]%, P > 0.05). Sperm DFI was significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration, sperm motility and total progressively motile sperm count (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The pregnancy rate of IUI is significantly lower in couples with DFI >25% than in those with DFI < or = 25%. Sperm DFI obtained from SCSA is partly correlated with sperm concentration and motility, and it is a robust predictor of the IUI outcome.</p>

Clinical value of artificial insemination by donor / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical value of artificial insemination by donor (AID).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed 480 cycles of AID among 258 infertile couples, who were divided according to the women's age into a < or = 30 yr group and a > or = 31 yr group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 120 pregnancies were achieved in 480 AID cycles, with a cycle pregnancy rate of 25.00% and a cumulative pregnancy rate of 46.51%. In the natural cycles, the cycle pregnancy rate was 29.65% and the cumulative pregnancy rate was 51.00% in the < or = 30 yr group, significantly higher than 13.33% and 25.00% in the > or = 31 yr group (P < 0.05). In the ovulation induction cycles, no significant differences were found in the cycle and cumulative pregnancy rates between the two groups (24.02 and 48.86% versus 23.81 and 43.48% , P > 0.05). The cycle and cumulative pregnancy rates decreased with the increase of infertility duration and the women's age, but had no significant differences. In the first four cycles, the cycle pregnancy rates were 24.03, 24.94, 24.69 and 25.00% (P > 0.05), and the cumulative pregnancy rates were 24.03, 39.53, 45.74 and 46.51%, with significant differences between the first cycle and the other three (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ovulation induction is superior to natural cycle in AID for older women. IVF/ICSI can be resorted to only after AID has failed three or four times.</p>

Polypronuclear zygotes and clinical pregnancy after IVF / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the relationship between the percentage of polypronuclear zygotes and clinical pregnancy following IVF.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected the data of 954 IVF cycles, and according the percentage of polypronuclear zygotes in the IVF cycles, allocated them to Groups A (without polypronuclear zygotes) , B (with < 30% polypronuclear zygotes) and C (with > or = 30% polypronuclear zygotes). Then we analyzed the relationship between the percentage of polypronuclear zygotes and the rate of clinical pregnancy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with Group A, Group C showed a significantly lower rate of clinical pregnancy (43.2% vs 28. 1%, P < 0.05), while Group B exhibited a markedly higher rate (43.2% vs 52.36%, P < 0.05) and obviously decreased polypronuclear zygote formation with the increase of age (35.6% vs 24.1%, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The percentage of polypronuclear zygotes in IVF cycles may serve as a prognostic indicator of the clinical outcome.</p>