Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of subgroups of the human sperm hypoosmotic swelling test in normozoospermic male cases with recurrent fertilization failure: a prospective case-controlled study

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To compare subgroups of the human sperm hypoosmotic swelling test subgroups in both recurrent fertilization negative infertile cases with normal semen analysis and fertilization positive controls.

Methods

This was a prospective case-controlled study performed with normospermic 33 previously fertile male (secondary infertility) and 41 infertile men who had undergone two or three unsuccessful in vitro fertilization attempts. HOS test was investigated in 4 subgroups including HOS 1, HOS 2, HOS 3, and HOS 4 according to the degree of sperm tail swelling and compared between the two groups.

Results

Four subgroups were compared and statistical significance was demonstrated in HOS 1, HOS 3 and HOS 4 tests (p < 0.001) in fertile and infertile men. Highest HOS 1 and lowest HOS 4 grades were determined in Group A. However, no statistical significance was determined between two groups in HOS 2 test which was minimal swelling in sperm tails.

Conclusions

HOS 1, HOS 3 and HOS 4 subgroups of HOS test are reliable and useful methods providing important information regarding the sperm function. A high HOS test 1 grade plus a low HOS test 4 grade should suggest a fertility problem, despite a normal semen analysis. HOS test subgroups provide additional information in normospermic cases with unexplained infertility.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rowe PH, Comhaire FH, Hargreave TB, Mellows HJ (1993) WHO manual for the standardized investigation and diagnosis of the infertile couple. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  2. Tartagni M, Schonauer MM, Cicinelli E et al (2002) Usefulness of the hypo-osmotic swelling test in predicting pregnancy rate and outcome in couples undergoing intrauterine insemination. J Androl 23:498–502

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Tanahatoe SJ, McDonnell J, Goverde AJ, Hompes PG, Lambalk CB (2009) Total fertilization failure and idiopathic subfertility. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 12:3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Buch JP (1993) Advanced sperm function testing. Curr Opin Urol 3:503–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Jeyendran RS, Van der Ven HH, Perez-Pelaez M, Crabo BG, Zaneveld LJ (1984) Development of an assay to asses the functional integrity of the human sperm membrane and its relationship to other semen characteristics. J Reprod Fertil 70:219–228

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Majumdar K, Rajagopalan G, Bupathy A (2001) A study of the hypo-osmotic swelling test of spermatozoa in both fertile and infertile male subjects and its relationship with the standard spermiogram. Indian J Urol 17:156–158

    Google Scholar 

  7. Chan SY, Wang C, Chan ST, Ho PC (1990) Differential evaluation of human sperm hypoosmotic swelling test and its relationship with the outcome of in vitro fertilization of human oocytes. Hum Reprod 5:84–88

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Chan SY, Craft IL, Chan YM, Leong MK, Leong CK (1990) The hypoosmotic swelling test and cryosurvival of human spermatozoa. Hum Reprod 5:715–718

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Chan SY, Wang C, Ng M, So WW, Ho PC (1988) Multivariate discriminant analysis of the relationship between the hypoosmotic swelling test and the in vitro fertilizing capacity of human sperm. Int J Androl 11:369–378

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. WHO laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and sperm-cervical mucus interaction (1999). 4th ed, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

  11. Mordel N, Mor-Yosef S, Margalioth E, Shemesh A, Samueloff A, Schenker JG (1989) The human sperm hypoosmotic swelling test: its practical application and suggestions for improvement. Int J Fertil 34:355–358

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mordel N, Dano I, Epistein-Eldan M, Shemesh A, Schenker JG, Laufer N (1993) Novel parameters of human sperm hypoosmotic swelling test and their correlation to standard spermatogram, total motile sperm fraction, and sperm penetration assay. Fertil Steril 59:1276–1279

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Check JH, Katsoff D, Check ML (2001) Some semen abnormalities may cause infertility by impairing implantation rather than fertilization. Med Hypotheses 56:653–657

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Check JH, Katsoff D, Check ML, Choe JK, Swenson K (2001) In vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection is an effective therapy for male factor infertility related to subnormal hypo-osmotic swelling test scores. J Androl 22:261–265

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Cincik M, Ergur AR, Tutuncu L et al (2007) Combination of hypoosmotic swelling/eosin Y test for sperm membrane integrity evaluation: correlations with other sperm parameters to predict ICSI cycles. Arch Androl 53:25–28

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hossain A, Osuamkpe C, Hossain S, Phelps JY (2010) Spontaneously developed tail swellings (SDTS) influence the accuracy of the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS-test) in determining membrane integrity and viability of human spermatozoa. J Assist Reprod Genet 27:83–86

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, IVF-ET Unit, Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Tülay Irez, Engin Oral, Hülya Senol & Sezai Sahmay

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bagcilar Education and Research Hospital, Bagcilar, Istanbul, Turkey

    Taner A. Usta

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Suleymaniye Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    Galip Zebitay

Authors
  1. Tülay Irez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Taner A. Usta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Galip Zebitay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Engin Oral
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Hülya Senol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sezai Sahmay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Taner A. Usta.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Irez, T., Usta, T.A., Zebitay, G. et al. Evaluation of subgroups of the human sperm hypoosmotic swelling test in normozoospermic male cases with recurrent fertilization failure: a prospective case-controlled study. Arch Gynecol Obstet 287, 797–801 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2634-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-012-2634-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation