A sperm-zona pellucida binding test and in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Sperm binding to the zona pellucida was studied in 106 in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients. Oocytes that failed to fertilize in vitro were inseminated with a mixture of equal numbers of test and fertile donor sperm differentially labeled with fluorescein or rhodamine to control for variability in the sperm-zona pellucida binding capacity of oocytes. The ratio of the number of test and control sperm bound to four to six zonae pellucidae was significantly correlated with sperm morphology, viability, motility, motility index, and normal intact acrosomes in semen. The sperm-zona pellucida binding ratio was the most significant factor related to IVF rates by logistic regression analysis. But the proportions of sperm with normal morphology and intact acrosomes in semen also were significant. In patients with less than 30% of sperm with normal morphology, there was a highly significant relationship between IVF rate and sperm-zona pellucida binding and a weaker relationship with sperm morphology. In conclusion, the sperm-zona pellucida binding ratio test is useful for predicting sperm fertilizing ability in vitro, particularly in men with poor sperm morphology.