RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine if idiopathic infertile men having oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, or teratozoospermia have an elevated risk of transmitting chromosomal abnormalities to their offspring. DESIGN: Sperm chromosomal complements from five somatically normal infertile men were assayed using the human sperm-hamster oocyte fusion system and the disomy frequencies for chromosomes 1, 12, and the sex chromosomes were determined using fluorescence in situ hybridization. SETTING: Infertile men and normal donors were volunteers in an academic research environment. PATIENTS: Five men with the appropriate semen characteristics were recruited among patients concerned about their infertility. INTERVENTIONS: Sperm fused with hamster oocytes resulting in sperm chromosomes or the sperm nuclei were prepared for fluorescence in situ hybridization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Structural and numerical abnormalities assessed by sperm karyotypes and the disomy frequency determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. RESULTS: The infertile men showed increased frequencies of numerical abnormalities and total abnormalities as determined by sperm karyotyping. Analysis of sperm nuclei by fluorescence in situ hybridization indicated a significant increase in the frequency of disomy for chromosome 1 and XY disomy. CONCLUSIONS: Sperm from infertile men may contain an increased frequency of chromosomal abnormalities.
