BostonIVF - The Arizona Center- Sperm Testing

Sperm DNA Fragmentation

Sperm is traditionally examined under a microscope to determine shape, mobility and number. BostonIVF - The Arizona Center performs the most accurate sperm assessment in Arizona, but we don't stop there! Our research has shown that men's sperm can look normal on these tests, but these men may still fail to achieve pregnancy with their partners.

A "normal" sperm assessment often results in expensive fertility procedures that make money for clinics, but does not result in pregnancy.

At The Arizona Center, we provide you with two tests to evaluate the function of your sperm: the traditional semen analysis under the microscope provides a broad view of sperm abnormalities, while state-of-the-art DNA fragmentation analysis provides a precise and accurate method of predicting pregnancy success based on sperm quality.

Only Fertility Centers of Arizona provides these state-of-the-art tests to give you and your physician the information necessary to achieve pregnancy without wasting time and money.

This semen sample shows six sperm cells with fragmented DNA in the microscope field, as evidenced by the absence of a halo (red arrow), one sperm cell with degraded DNA, without a halo and weak or irregular staining (white arrow) and 11 sperm cells with intact DNA and a halo of dispersed DNA loops (green arrow).

The Arizona Center can identify and select the healthy sperm (with a red "halo") to ensure a quick pregnancy.

What is sperm DNA fragmentation?

Our studies have shown that semen samples with high percentages of sperm with fragmented DNA are associated with pregnancy failure. The term "Sperm DNA Fragmentation" refers to the integrity of the chain of molecules that makes up the genetic code each sperm carries. When DNA is fragmented, the chain becomes broken in various places. The quantity of these breaks reveals the quality of the individual cell. Normal repair mechanisms in the cell can fix many breaks in the DNA; when these repair mechanisms do not work, however, DNA strand breaks persist into the ejaculated sample. Our testing detects these strand breaks that have persisted through the process of forming a mature sperm.

Testing for DNA fragmentation is not routine at IVF clinics today. The first major reason is simply because there is no effective treatment method when DNA fragmentation levels are high. The second reason is that there is no standardized testing method and results can be diverse and unreliable.

The Arizona Center has discovered a method that is highly accurate and reproducible.

With our method, fluroescent molecules are attached directly to the broken edges of the DNA strand. The cells are then assessed for whether or not they have taken up the fluorescent molecule by a machine known as a flow cytometer. We are able to detect individual cells and count them based on their individual levels of fluorescence.

This is the only test that measures DNA strand breaks directly, in the natural setting the DNA and the sperm experience when they reach the egg.

The results of this test allow BostonIVF - The Arizona Center's laboratory to perform a technique that is not being used at any other clinic in the United States.