Reproductive Outcome After Sperm Selection for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) Using Zona Pellucida Proteins

Assessment of the IVF Outcome Parameters After Sperm Selection by Adhesion to Zona Pellucida Proteins

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of a sperm selection method by adhesion to partners' zona pellucida proteins on the assisted reproduction treatment (ART) outcome parameters.

The success rate after treatment by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) depends on the sperm selection process. Classical sperm selection techniques are based on the spermatozoa morphology and motility, therefore are not able to measure the sperm ability to recognise the oocyte. Furthermore it is known that semen samples showing higher adherence rate to zona pellucida have higher fertilisation potential than spermatozoa that fail to bind to zona proteins.

There have been numerous reports on applying partner' native zona pellucida in sperm selection prior ICSI. However, these studies imply the whole native zona pellucida, while this study will focus on the application of acid-solubilized zonae pellucidae.

Here in this study, the aim is to assess the fertilisation rate, the number and quality of the formed embryos, implantation and ongoing pregnancy success after sperm selection for ICSI by their ability to adhere to immobilized zona pellucida proteins.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis for primary or secondary infertility
• Healthy females
• Clinical diagnosis for unexplained infertility
• Females between 20 and 45 years old.
• Males between 20 and 50 years old.
• At least 3 retrieved oocytes per follicular puncture with at least 1 oocyte at germinal vesicle (GV) or metaphase I (MI) stage

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of low quality oocytes
• Females with endometrial or ovarian infertility factor