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Controlled Clinical Trial
. 2010 Jul;27(7):415-21.
doi: 10.1007/s10815-010-9417-4. Epub 2010 May 23.

Impact of freezing/thawing technique on sperm DNA integrity in HIV-1 patients

Christophe Frainais  1 , François Vialard, Nathalie Rougier, Philippe Aegerther, Florence Damond, Jean-Philippe Ayel, Chadi Yazbeck, André Hazout, Jacqueline Selva
Affiliations
Controlled Clinical Trial

Impact of freezing/thawing technique on sperm DNA integrity in HIV-1 patients

Christophe Frainais et al. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2010 Jul.

Abstract

Introduction: According french legislation, sperm freezing/thawing procedures are used to prevent ART contaminations in couple with HIV-1 infected men. We determined sperm nuclear fragmentation rate before and after selection and freezing/thawing in HIV-1 14 patients.

Methods: Two groups of patients were studied: 20 control patients with normal sperm (group 1) and without viral infection and 20 fertile treated HIV-1 patients (group 2). DNA fragmentation was evaluated using terminal uridine nick end labeling, before and after gradient selection, and after cryopreservation and thawing procedures.

Results: DNA fragmentation rates in fresh semen were increased in HIV patients (6.38% vs 3.39%) (p < 0.05) compared with control patients. After sperm migration, fragmentation rates were significantly lower (p < 0.0001) in the two groups compared with fresh sperm rates. After freezing/thawing, values were similar to those of fresh semen with an increased rate (p < 0.01) for HIV-1 patients, with respectively 3.40% and 5.18% rates in control and infected patients. HIV-1-infected patients treated by antiretroviral therapy showed a significant increase in sperm DNA fragmentation in fresh sperm and also after freezing/thawing procedures, but these two fragmentation rates were not significantly different.

Conclusion: So, freezing/thawing procedures do not seem to impair sperm DNA and preserve probability of conception for couples with HIV-1 infected men.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
DNA fragmentation rates in two groups at different stages of the technique. Statistical value: Group 1: -p < 0.0001: Fresh sperm/after migration. -p < 0.0001: After migration/after thawing. -p=; NS: Fresh sperm/after thawing. Group 2: -p < 0.005: Fresh sperm/after migration. -p < 0.005: After migration/after thawing. -p=NS: Fresh sperm/after thawing
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Progressive motility in the two groups at different stages of the technique. Statistical values: Group 1: -Motility: Fresh sperm/after migration: p < 0.0001. -Motility: After migration/after thawing.: p < 0.0001. -Motility: Fresh sperm/after thawing.: p=N.S. Group 2: -Motility: Fresh sperm/after migration: p < 0.0005. -Motility: After migration/after thawing.: p < 0.0005. -Motility: Fresh sperm/after thawing.: p=N.S.
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