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Perspectives de l’analyse de la mobilité des spermatozoïdes

Subjective and objective evaluation of human sperm motility: present and future

Resume

Aucune des méthodes objectives d’évaluation de la mobilité et du mouvement, CASA et méthodes basées sur des principes physiques, dans leur état de développement actuel ne remplace les données apportées par l’évaluation classique de la mobilité des spermartozoïdes au microscope à condition que celle-ci soit fondée sur une bonne expérience et des contrôles réguliers de sa validité (contrôles de qualité interne et externe). D’un autre côté, les méthodes objectives permettent d’aborder l’évaluation de la fertilité masculine par des approches objectives et reproductibles fournissant des mesures originales de plusieurs aspects du potentiel fécondant qui par définition sont impossibles par une approche visuelle. De plus, du fait de la technologie sur laquelle elles reposent, elles présentent un intérêt potentiel pour une approche plus détaillée de la fécondance du sperme.

Abstract

Several studies have shown a good correlation between sperm motility and fertility though the microscopic evaluation of the percentage of motile sperm is highly subjective by nature. Therefore in the last decade, various objectives methods have been proposed to overcome this problem. Two types of methods were developed: The methods based on the analysis of images obtained by microphotography, microcinematography and microvideography and the global, undirect methods based on physical principles. Several systems based on video and image analysis (Computer Aided Sperm Analysis, CASA) have been developed and are used in numerous laboratories of reproductive biology. CASA technology offers the possibility to analyse some characteristics of sperm motion which are related to the fertilization potential and to develop new parameters related to some important aspects of sperm behavior such as hyperactivation. However, there is a large amount of interactions between the operator and the CASA machine. CASA instruments are not “ready-to-use” robots: the reliability of CASA depends largely on the expertise and training of the user and the application of standardized procedures and quality control schemes. By contrast, there is only minimal interaction between the operator and the Sperm Quality Anlyser which is a new device measuring and index of sperm motility highly correlated to the concentration of progressively motile sperm. The device uses light passed through a small sample of semen introduced in a capillary tube to detect variations in optical density that result from moving particles. The reproducibility of the measurements is excellent, the device is easy to use and this is a potentially useful tool for field-work studies. Further investigations of this device in the managment of male infertility is warranted. Finally, both types of objectives approaches are complementary to the conventional analysis of sperm motility and they will not replace it. Standardized procedures have been proposed by the World Health Organization for the subjective evaluation of sperm motility. Such procedures are very useful to reduce significantly the intra- and interlaboratory variations but internal and external quality controls schemes indicate that they are not sufficient to achieve acceptable levels of variation and regular quality controls followed by the definition and the application of corrective procedures are required.

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Auger, J. Perspectives de l’analyse de la mobilité des spermatozoïdes. Androl. 7, 433–442 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03035269

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