Conventional Magnification Suffices for High-quality Sperm Selection When Embryologist Experience Is Optimized: A Comparison with MSOME

The ability to choose the appropriate sperm is essential to enhance the assisted reproductive technologies results. This study evaluated the performance of five embryologists in selecting sperm using conventional magnifications. In phase ۱, sperm selection was done by an embryologist working on single sperm selection at ×۴۰۰ magnification. Phase ۲ involved ۵ embryologists who selected sperm at ×۲۰۰ and ×۴۰۰ magnifications, twice for three semen samples, that their normal morphology confirmed at ۲%, ۴%, and ۶%. Morphometric parameters with motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) and Sperm DNA fragmentation were assessed with sperm chromatin dispersion. The mean Cassuto score of selected sperm in phases ۱ and ۲ were ۴.۷۲± ۰.۹۴ and ۴.۰۲± ۱.۷۴, respectively. Data from phase ۱ showed ۹۵.۳% and ۱.۷% placed in class I and no-class group (Sperm containing post acrosomal vacuoles). Morphometric evaluation of single sperm showed results of embryologist B was similar to phase ۱ in terms of class I (۱۰۰%) and no- class (۰%) groups. Compared to raw semen, qualitatively single sperm selection by ۵ embryologists significantly diminished sperm DNA fragmentation (۱۶.۷۳± ۱.۹۴ vs ۲۲.۲۶ ± ۲.۵۲, p˂ ۰.۰۰). It was comparable to previous phase (۱۴.۶۶± ۳.۲۱ vs ۲۰ ± ۳, p˂ ۰.۰۱۵). The sperm selection based at conventional magnification had lower DNA fragmentation than the raw semen samples (۱۶.۷۳± ۱.۹۴ vs ۲۲.۲۶± ۲.۵۲, p˂ ۰.۰۰۰). Standard magnification offers adequate resolution for embryologists to distinguish sperm with subtle morphological defects. In addition, ×۴۰۰ magnification can lead to spermatozoa selection with high morphometric parameters and low DNA fragmentation. Furthermore, the findings highlight the critical role of embryologist training and experience as a practical approach to optimizing high-speed sperm selection with existing equipment.

کلیدواژه ها:

Embryologist ، ICSI ، MSOME ، SCD ، sperm