2. Sperm function and sperm aneuploidies evaluated on
single cells selected with high magnification technique from
patients with severe testicular damage
Single sperm cells
Group A (n 100)
(nuclear vacuole)
Group B (n 100)
(normal sperm)
Mitochondria (%) 52.2+14.7* 13.3+4.9
Acridine Orange (%) 71.9+11.1* 5.3+3.0
TUNEL (%) 40.1+11.6* 9.3+4.8
Aneuploidies (%) 5.1+3.1 0.0
Garolla et al. High-power microscopy for selecting spermatozoa for ICSI by
physiological status. RBM Online, 2008

4. Aitken et al. Int J Androl 2009

7.  Problems with DNA fragmentation:
 What is to be measured and why?
 Different methods
 Standardization problems of the tests
 Intra-individual variability
 Normal values for fertility or normozoospermia?
 Type of sample analysed
 Small numbers
 Subgrouping of infertile men and IVF/ICSI cycles
 Identification of high-risk groups
 Effect of abstinence time

8. Influence of sperm DNA damage
on IVF and ICSI
Fertilization rate
 Negative effect
 Larson, 2000
 Tomlinson, 2001
 Tomsu, 2002
 Benchaib, 2003 (ICSI)
 Larson, 2003
 Henkel, 2004
 Virro, 2004
 Guerin, 2005
 Borini, 2006 (ICSI)
 Boe-Hansen, 2006 (IVF)
 Avendano, 2009
 Tarozzi, 2009 (ICSI)
 No effect
 Seli, 2004
 Bungum, 2004
 Gandini, 2004
 Huang, 2005
 Zini, 2005
 Borini, 2006 (IVF)
 Boe-Hansen, 2006 (ICSI)
 Bungum, 2007
 Lin, 2008
 Nucopoullos, 2008
 Velez de la Calle, 2008
 Tarozzi, 2009 (IVF)
 Positive effect
 Payne, 2005
Pregnancy rate
 Negative effect
 Lopes, 1998
 Host, 2000 (IVF)
 Morris, 2002
 Benchaib, 2003
 Payne, 2005
 Huang, 2005
 Velez de la Calle, 2008
 No effect
 Tomlinson, 2001
 Tomsu, 2002
 Larson, 2003
 Gandini, 2004 (ICSI)
 Henkel, 2004
 Virro, 2004
 Guerin, 2005
 Zini, 2005
 Lin, 2008
 Avendano, 2009

9. HA-ICSI significantly
improves embryo
quality and
development…but
not implantation rate
and pregnancy

10. New development
Array CGH on single sperm