Improved sperm concentration, motility, and fertilization rates following Ficoll treatment of sperm in a human in vitro fertilization program

Abstract

Duplicate sperm samples from the spouses of 54 patients admitted to an in vitro fertilization program were prepared by the swim-up and a simplified procedure using Ficoll. Cellsoft (CRYO Resources, New York, NY) sperm curvilinear velocities (μg/sec) and mean amplitude of lateral head displacement values (μm) equivalent to grade 1 and 2 visual sperm motility were significantly higher for Ficoll as compared with swim-up samples (P < 0.01). Fertilization rates were significantly higher in the Ficoll as compared with the swim-up group for poor semen samples (grade < 2: 58% versus 24%; P < 0.01) and normal semen samples (grade ≥ 2: 85% versus 78%; P < 0.05). Ficoll sperm separation appears to be an excellent method of yielding increased fertilization rates in in vitro fertilization programs.