Fluorescent in situ hybridization evaluation of human Y-bearing spermatozoa separated by albumin density gradients

Abstract

Objective: Fluorescent in situ hybridization of decondensed sperm nuclei was employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ericsson albumin gradient enrichment technique of Y-bearing sperm. Design: Mature human spermatozoa were separated from donor- and randomly selected patient semen using three different albumin density layers. Sperm nuclei, in the albumin layer with highest density, were decondensed and the percentage Y-bearing sperm was determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Results: A slight, although statistically significant, increase in percentage Y bearing sperm was observed. Conclusion: Although statistically significant, the clinical relevance of the small increase in Y-bearing sperm remains uncertain. A randomized controlled clinical study should help to clarify the above laboratory results.