Impact of Microfluidic Sperm Sorting on Embryonic Euploidy in Infertile Patients with Sperm DNA Damage: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Sperm DNA fragmentation is an important factor that affects male fertility. This study intends to evaluate the impact of sperm DNA damage [single-strand breaks (SSB) and double-strand breaks (DSB)] on fertilisation and embryonic euploidy after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Of the different sperm selection techniques, the novel microfluidic sperm sorting (MSS) ZyMōt™ ICSI device reduces both SSB and DSB in semen samples.

Microfluidic sperm sorting improves ICSI outcomes in patients with increased values of Double-Strand Breaks in sperm DNA.

Background: Delays in embryo kinetics, implantation failures in ICSI treatments and recurrent miscarriages have been associated with high values of Double-Strand Breaks (DSB) in sperm DNA. While conventional methods for semen preparation have been shown to be inefficient reducing DSB values, Microfluidic Sperm Sorting (MSS) devices are promising tools to reduce this damage.

Objective: To study the clinical utility of an MSS device in ICSI treatments when the male partner presents increased DSB values, as compared to the use of conventional methods based on sperm motility.

Sperm selection during ICSI treatments reduces single- but not double-strand DNA break values compared to the semen sample.

Purpose: To detect a possible bias in sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) testing when performed on semen samples or on those few spermatozoa selected for Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) treatments.

Methods: A multimethodological analysis of Single- and Double-Strand DNA Breaks (SSB and DSB, respectively) was performed through the Neutral Comet, the Alkaline Comet, the Sperm Chromatin Dispersion (SCD) and the Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick End Labelling (TUNEL) assays. SDF was evaluated in (i) semen samples from 23 infertile patients (not achieving pregnancy or suffering recurrent miscarriage); (ii) samples after a Swim-up and (iii) spermatozoa microselected for ICSI (ICSI-S).