Influence of deoxyribonucleic acid damage on fertilization and pregnancy Ralf Henkel, Ph.D., Marjam Hajimohammad, Thomas Stalf, Ph.D., Christiaan Hoogendijk, M.Sc., Claas Mehnert, M.Sc., Roelof Menkveld, Ph.D., Holger Gips, M.D., Wolf-Bernhard Schill, M.D., Thinus F Kruger, M.D. Fertility and Sterility Volume 81, Issue 4, Pages 965-972 (April 2004) DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.09.044
FIGURE 1 Influence of DNA fragmentation, DNA integrity, and apoptosis markers (annexin V binding and Fas expression) on fertilization (black bars) and pregnancy (striped bars) in vitro after differentiation and separation of the patients into positive and negative groups according to the cut-off points calculated by ROC curve analysis. Determination of DNA damage by means of the TUNEL assay (A) and the acridine orange stain (B) shows a significant influence on pregnancy but not on fertilization. Insemination sperm from patients with a low percentage of TUNEL-positive sperm or a high percentage of sperm with double-stranded DNA resulted in almost twice the pregnancy rate (Fisher exact test) as in the others. The fertilization rate showed no difference. For parameters of apoptosis (annexin V binding and Fas expression; C and D, respectively), no difference could be calculated either for fertilization or for pregnancy. Henkel. DNA damage and fertilization in vitro. Fertil Steril 2004. Fertility and Sterility 2004 81, 965-972DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.09.044)