Correlation between sperm morphology, acrosin, and fertilization in an IVF program

Acrosin, a neutral proteinase, is located within the acrosome. The aim of this study was to evaluate acrosin concentrations in patients with severe damage of the sperm head and to determine whether acrosin concentration could predict the chances of fertilization in an IVF program. Sixty patients were accepted into this study, prospectively. The patients were divided into two groups, those with a normal morphology of < 14% (group I, n - 33) and those with normal morphology ± 14% (group II, n - 27). All the patients had a sperm concentration of >20 million sperm/ml and >30% progressively motile sperm. The acrosin assays were performed on the semen sample obtained on the day of IVF. Routine IVF insemination procedures were used, and only mature oocytes were considered. The only factor that showed a significant correlation with fertilization was normal morphology (p< 0.01). The mean acrosin level was 73.4 ± 38.6 mIU/10 million sperm in group I and 70.9 ± 42.7 mIU/10 million sperm in group II (no significant difference). The fertilization rate in group I was 45.4% and in group II, 77.7% p< 0.002). Acrosin levels were not significantly different in patients with and without fertilization (72.0 ± 42.1 and 73.6 ± 8.5 mIU/10 million sperm, respectively). © 1988 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.