Inverse correlation between chromatin condensation and sperm head size in a case of enlarged sperm heads
Open accessAbstract
Among sperm morphology abnormalities, macrocephalic and large-headed spermatozoa are commonly associated with a low chance of pregnancy, mainly in relation to meiotic abnormalities during spermatogenesis. Here is reported the case of a patient with 98% of spermatozoa showing abnormal morphology, many having enlarged heads (47%). Sperm-head measurement, sperm fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis, sperm chromatin decondensation and molecular biology were performed. Fifty-six percent of the sperm displayed a large head (length >4.7 μm and width >3.2 μm), and the mean sperm-head area was 15.8±3.8 μm(2) (9.7±1.5 μm(2) and 9.3±1.4 μm(2) for two controls). Normal chromosomal content was found in 97% of the cells and no aurea kinase C-gene mutation was found. Mean sperm chromatin decondensation rate was 46%, 64% for large-head forms and 10% for other forms. This is, as far as is known, one of the first cases of semen with enlarged-head spermatozoa linked to sperm chromatin condensation dysfunction with no major meiotic dysfunction. The study centre advised the couple to undergo intracytoplasmic sperm injection with the patient's spermatozoa.
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For patients who do not carry AURKC mutations and who have a lower percentage of macrocephalic spermatozoa, only rare spontaneous births or births after ICSI have been reported.
“For patients who do not carry AURKC mutations and who have a lower percentage of macrocephalic spermatozoa in the ejaculate, only rare spontaneous births or births after ICSI have been reported [36, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49] and ICSI may be debated [50].”
From Recommendations for Human Sperm Morphology Assessment in 2025: An Expert Review From the French BLEFCO Group (2026) · cites this paper as [43]
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- Authors
- Guthauser, B., Albert, M., Ferfouri, F., Ray, P. F., Rabiey, G., Selva, J., & Vialard, F.
- Affiliations
- Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Guthauser, B.
- Venue
- Reproductive BioMedicine Online
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-12
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 711-716
- ISSN
- 1472-6483 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2080954194
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 1.32
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Reproductive BioMedicine Online (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Reproductive Medicine › Sperm and Testicular Function
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Physiology › Reproductive biology and impacts on aquatic species
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Biology and Fertility
- Keywords
- sperm head size, sperm chromatin condensation, chromatin decondensation, sperm morphology abnormalities, male infertility, secondary infertility, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, aniline blue staining, sperm DNA integrity, meiotic abnormalities, spermatogenesis
- MeSH terms
- Chromatin, Humans, Infertility, Male, Male, Middle Aged, Sperm Head, Semen Analysis
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