Spermatogenic patterns and early embryo development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection in severe oligoasthenozoospermia

Purpose: Evaluate the influence of different baseline spermatogenic patterns [meiotic pattern (normal or abnormal), sperm concentration (>1 × 10 6 /mL of ≤1 × 10 6 /mL), and the combined meiosis-sperm concentration pattern] on early embryo development in severe oligoasthenozoospermia. Methods: Embryo outcomes (fertilization rate, cleavage rate, and 4-cell stage embryo division rate on day 2) after IVF-ICSI in 75 oligoasthenozoospermia and 79 normozoospermic males. Results: The embryo division rate was significantly lower in oligoasthenozoospermia compared to normozoospermia (50.43% vs. 58.72%, p < 0.01) and in the oligoasthenozoospermia group for meiotic anomalies (43.40%), sperm concentration ≤1 × 106/mL (44.35%), and the combined pattern ≤1 × 10 6 /mL with meiotic anomalies (37.17%). Logistic regression analysis showed a synergic effect (OR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.28-3.12) when the two spermatogenic patterns predictive of slow embryo development [meiotic anomalies (OR = 1.49; 95% CI= 1.03-2.15) and sperm concentration ≤1 × 106/mL (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.09-2.13)] were present. Conclusions: The data suggest that the early embryonic developmental capacity is inversely related to the severity of spermatogenic impairment (meiotic anomalies and/or sperm concentration ≤1 × 10 6 /mL).