Cytochemical Tests for Sperm Chromatin Maturity

Normal structure and maturity of sperm chromatin is essential for the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa in vivo. It is a relatively independent measure of semen quality that yields additional prognostic information complementary to standard sperm parameters – concentration, motility, and morphology. Several methods are used to assess sperm chromatin status. At present, indirect methods for sperm DNA fragmentation assessment are routinely used in andrological workup. However, several simple and efficient tests for chromatin maturation status are also available. The normality ranges and predictive thresholds for male fertility potential for these assays still need to be established or clarified