P-107 Sperm DNA fragmentation impacts embryonic developmental potential but is not associated with PGT-A outcomes

Abstract Study question Does sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) affect embryonic development and influence Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy (PGT-A) outcomes in IVF? Summary answer DFI adversely affects early embryonic development, diminishing blastocyst potential. Nonetheless, PGT-A outcomes are unaffected, underscoring the importance of selecting optimal sperm for enhanced IVF results. What is known already Several major factors are thought to cause DFI. The relationship between sperm DFI and IVF results remains debated. Study design, size, duration This study was conducted from January 2018 to March 2023, included 56 married couples undergoing IVF after performing a sperm DFI test. The DFI was assessed at the first semen examination and categorized into three groups: low (≤15%), moderate (15-30%), and high (≥30%). Participants/materials, setting, methods Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) was performed on 1006 mature oocytes, followed by blastocyst culture. A total of 278 blastocysts meeting freezing criteria were vitrified. Trophectoderm biopsies from 216 blastocysts underwent Next-Generation Sequencing for aneuploidy analysis. Statistical analysis utilized the Cochran-Armitage test to compare outcomes among the DFI groups. Main results and the role of chance The average age of the husbands and wives who underwent IVF after the DFI examination was 42.3±4.2 and 41.4±2.4 years old. Normal fertility rates after ICSI in low, moderate, and high DFI were 85.5%, 84.5%, and 83.1%, with no significant difference. Similarly, the blastocyst freezing rates were 35.4%, 26.3%, and 29.6%, and tended to decrease as the DFI value increased (p < 0.05). However, the euploid rates for PGT-A were 22.4%, 16.3%, and 18.2%. There were no statistically significant differences between the DFI groups in terms of euploidy. Limitations, reasons for caution Cases declining ICSI due to patient preference or historical medical reasons were excluded from this study. Wider implications of the findings This suggests that sperm DNA imperfections have a negative impact on the developmental process during the early stages of division, but during late stages of division, the ability to repair DNA works to differentiate into blastocysts with normal developmental potential. Trial registration number not applicable