Hypo-osmotic swelling test and unexplained repeat early pregnancy loss.

AIM: To study the relationship of various sperm characteristics and hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOS test) with repeat unexplained early pregnancy loss.

METHODS

Semen samples from husbands of 74 couples with a history of repeat early pregnancy loss (group A) were analyzed according to World Health Organization criteria, and a HOS test was performed in each case. Semen samples from 65 husbands with proven fertility (group B) were also studied for comparison.

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were noted in the age of the husbands, sperm concentration, sperm morphology and percent motile sperm between groups A and B. The mean HOS test scores of the two groups were significantly different (group A: 60.4%; group B: 76.9%; P = 0.01 [normal value: >60%]). In group A, 33.8% of cases (25/74) and in group B, 12.3% of cases (8/65) showed low HOS test scores.

CONCLUSION

The sperm HOS test may be helpful to screen for any paternal factor associated with repeat embryonic or early fetal loss and in a resource-poor setting, and may be utilized in any clinical laboratory.