Improving the predictive value of the hypoosmotic swelling test in humans.

MARTINI AC; MOLINA RI; ESTOFÁN D; TISSERA A; RUIZ RD; FIOL DE CUNEO M

FERTILITY AND STERILITY

Elsevier Science

Año: 2006 vol. 85 p. 1840 - 1842

0015-0282

  We evaluated, employing a combined hypoosmotic swelling-eosin (HOS-E) technique in human semen samples, the frequency of dead swollen spermatozoa (dHOS) after 10 and 30 min incubation, the correlation between total HOS-reactive (tHOS) and viable HOS-reactive (vHOS) spermatozoa with other seminal parameters and the possibility that dead spermatozoa react to HOS. We obtained the following results: a) some dead spermatozoa swell under hypoosmotic conditions and b) HOS-E results correlate strongly with other seminal parameters and we recommended to perform HOS after 10 min incubation because: a) the increase in the incubation time enhances the percentage of dHOS, b) there exist no differences in vHOS percentages between 10 and 30 min and c) correlation coefficients between vHOS and tHOS with other parameters are very similar at 10 or 30 min incubation.