RESUMO
It is well accepted that routine semen analysis is a useful tool for valuation of male potential fertility. In our environment, HOST has been recently applied as an additional approach which early detects structural and/or functional alterations of the sperm membranes. We investigated the possible relationship between some semen parameters and HOST in males from A) fertile couples (23-32 years old; n = 11) and B) sterile couples (25-35 years old; n = 171. Sperm concentration, motility, morphology and HOST (semen incubation in hypoosmotic saline solution-sodium citrate and fructose, 150 m0sm/1--, 37 degrees C during 60 min) were evaluated. In HOST determinations, results higher than 60 of swollen cells are considered within the normal range. In our study, sperm from males of B group showed a significantly lower percentage of hyperhydrated cells than those from A group (55.7 + 2.2 and 70.4 + 2.3 respectively; p < .001). In addition, a significant statistical correlation between HOST vs motility or normal morphology was found. On the contrary, we detected no correlation between HOST vs sperm concentration or volume. We suggest that development and application of HOST as a routine, can play an important role in the evaluation and prognosis of an infertile couple.