Sperm DNA FragmentationPhase 2/3NCT03668106
Effect of Different Sperm Processing Methods in ICSI Outcome.
A Phase 2/3 study testing sperm processing method in people with Sperm DNA Fragmentation, run by Benha University at 1 site in Egypt.
Trial summary
A total 180 semen samples from couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility were SDF index tested , then total 120 semen samples of patients' husbands with abnormal SDF index were randomly divided and then processed by swim up, sperm gradient centrifugation and Zeta methods. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 37 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Sperm DNA Fragmentation
- What is being tested?
- sperm processing method
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteEgypt
- Study dates
- 1 May 2018to 1 Jul 2022
- Phase
- Phase 2/3
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 to 37 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- unexplained infertile couples for 2 years
- age from 20 years old to 37 years old
Who cannot join
- endometriosis cases
- uterine factors
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effect of Different Sperm Processing Methods ( Swim up, Zeta, Sperm Gradient Centrifugation ) in ICSI Outcome. "A Sperm DNA Perspective"
A total 180 semen samples from couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility were SDF index tested , then total 120 semen samples of patients' husbands with abnormal SDF index were randomly divided and then processed by swim up, sperm gradient centrifugation and Zeta methods. SDF and ICSI outcomes are monitored after semen processing.
Read the detailed description
A total 180 semen samples from couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility were SDF index tested , then total 120 semen samples of patients' husbands with abnormal SDF index were randomly divided and then processed by swim up (G1/ n=40), sperm gradient centrifugation (G2/ n=40) and Zeta (G3/ n=40) methods. SDF test was assessed by Halosperm kit, whereas sperm morphology was assessed by spermac stain according to strict criteria. Fertilization, division, blastulation, implantation and pregnancy rates will be tabulated and statistically tested.
- Conditions
- Sperm DNA Fragmentation
- Being tested
- sperm processing method
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
sperm processing methodProcedure or surgery
different sperm processing method for selcting most proper sperm for ICSI
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| swim up method | Active comparator | Measure volume using a sterile 2 mL pipet.Transfer specimen from a plastic cup to a sterile 15 mL- conical centrifuge tube. Gently mix the specimen with equal volume of Sperm Washing Media. Centrifuge the tubes at 1500 rpm for 10 minutes.Carefully aspirate the supernatant without disturbing the pellet and resuspend the pellet in 50mcm of fresh washing medium, then place layer of 0.5 ml of washing medium gently on the surface. Incubate the tubes at a 45° angle for 1 hour for swim-up in vertical rack in a 37°C incubator. After the incubation period, aspirate the entire supernatant from the round bottom tube. Aliquots of the detached sperm were analyzed by halosperm assay for DNA fragmentation another aliquots of same supernatant were used for ICSI then fertilization, division, blastulation, pregnancy and implantation rates were tabulated and statistically tested. Receives: Procedure: sperm processing method |
| sperm gradient centrifugation | Active comparator | PureSperm gradients 40 % and 80 % were used for the experiment. All procedures were conducted under sterile conditions. Using a sterile pipette, 2.0 mL of the "lower layer" (80% PureSperm gradient) was transferred into a conical centrifuge tube.
Using a new sterile pipette, 2.0 mL of the "upper layer" (40% PureSperm gradient) was gently dispensed on top of the lower layer. A liquefied semen sample was then placed on top of the upper layer and the tube was centrifuged for 20 minutes at 300g. The upper and lower layers were carefully aspirated without disturbing the pellet. Using a transfer pipette, 2-3 mL of Ham's F10 +10% HAS was added to the pellet and the resuspended pellet was centrifuged for 7 minutes at 300g. The supernatant was then removed and the pellet was suspended in a volume of 0.5 mL of Ham's F10 + FCS 10%. Aliquots of the detached sperm were dealt with like previous arm Receives: Procedure: sperm processing method |
| zeta method | Active comparator | sperm samples were diluted 5 million in 1 ml. To induce a positive charge, the tube was placed inside a latex glove up to the cap and grasping the cap, the tube was rotated two or three turns and rapidly pulled out. Each tube was kept at room temperature for 1 minute to allow adherence of the charged sperm to the wall of the centrifuge tube.
Tubes were hold by the cap to avoid grounding of the tube. After 1 minute the tubes were centrifuged at 200g for 5 minutes. Then, the medium and pellet were discarded in order to discard non adhering sperm and other cells. The surface of tube was washed by 0.2ml of Ham's F10+ FCS 10% in order to neutralize the charge on the wall of the tube and detach the adhering sperm.
The collected medium at the bottom of each tube was repipetted and used to rinse the wall of the same tube several times to increase the number of recovered sperm . Aliquots of the detached sperm were dealt with like previous arm Receives: Procedure: sperm processing method |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Sperm DNA fragmentation
measure sperm integrity by halosperm assay
Measured: 30 minutes
Secondary outcomes (3)
Oocyte fertilization rate
no. of oocytes fertilized /total no. of oocytes
Measured: day 1
Blastulation rate
no of embryos blastulated / total no. of embryos
Measured: day 5
pregnancy rate
no of pregnant cases\ all no. of cases
Measured: 15 days
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Sep 2018
- Study start1 May 2018
- Primary completion5 Jun 2022
- Study completion1 Jul 2022
Why it stopped: no fund
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Sperm DNA FragmentationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2/3
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- swim up technique
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Benha University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hawaa Fertility Center
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Ahmed Saad, Benha University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03668106
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Hawaa-4
- Status last verified
- Sep 2022
- First submitted
- 11 Sep 2018
- Last updated
- 21 Sep 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Sep 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effect of Different Sperm Processing Methods ( Swim up, Zeta, Sperm Gradient Centrifugation ) in ICSI Outcome. "A Sperm DNA Perspective"
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03668106
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Hawaa-4
- Conditions
- Sperm DNA Fragmentation
- Phase
- Phase 2/3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: no fund
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Benha UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hawaa Fertility Center
- Study start
- 1 May 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 5 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 12 Sep 2018 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
A total 180 semen samples from couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility were SDF index tested , then total 120 semen samples of patients' husbands with abnormal SDF index were randomly divided and then processed by swim up, sperm gradient centrifugation and Zeta methods. SDF and ICSI outcomes are monitored after semen processing.
Detailed description
A total 180 semen samples from couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility were SDF index tested , then total 120 semen samples of patients' husbands with abnormal SDF index were randomly divided and then processed by swim up (G1/ n=40), sperm gradient centrifugation (G2/ n=40) and Zeta (G3/ n=40) methods. SDF test was assessed by Halosperm kit, whereas sperm morphology was assessed by spermac stain according to strict criteria. Fertilization, division, blastulation, implantation and pregnancy rates will be tabulated and statistically tested.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- swim up technique
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| swim up method | Active comparator | Procedure: sperm processing methodMeasure volume using a sterile 2 mL pipet.Transfer specimen from a plastic cup to a sterile 15 mL- conical centrifuge tube. Gently mix the specimen with equal volume of Sperm Washing Media. Centrifuge the tubes at 1500 rpm for 10 minutes.Carefully aspirate the supernatant without disturbing the pellet and resuspend the pellet in 50mcm of fresh washing medium, then place layer of 0.5 ml of washing medium gently on the surface. Incubate the tubes at a 45° angle for 1 hour for swim-up in vertical rack in a 37°C incubator. After the incubation period, aspirate the entire supernatant from the round bottom tube. Aliquots of the detached sperm were analyzed by halosperm assay for DNA fragmentation another aliquots of same supernatant were used for ICSI then fertilization, division, blastulation, pregnancy and implantation rates were tabulated and statistically tested. |
| sperm gradient centrifugation | Active comparator | Procedure: sperm processing methodPureSperm gradients 40 % and 80 % were used for the experiment. All procedures were conducted under sterile conditions. Using a sterile pipette, 2.0 mL of the "lower layer" (80% PureSperm gradient) was transferred into a conical centrifuge tube. Using a new sterile pipette, 2.0 mL of the "upper layer" (40% PureSperm gradient) was gently dispensed on top of the lower layer. A liquefied semen sample was then placed on top of the upper layer and the tube was centrifuged for 20 minutes at 300g. The upper and lower layers were carefully aspirated without disturbing the pellet. Using a transfer pipette, 2-3 mL of Ham's F10 +10% HAS was added to the pellet and the resuspended pellet was centrifuged for 7 minutes at 300g. The supernatant was then removed and the pellet was suspended in a volume of 0.5 mL of Ham's F10 + FCS 10%. Aliquots of the detached sperm were dealt with like previous arm |
| zeta method | Active comparator | Procedure: sperm processing methodsperm samples were diluted 5 million in 1 ml. To induce a positive charge, the tube was placed inside a latex glove up to the cap and grasping the cap, the tube was rotated two or three turns and rapidly pulled out. Each tube was kept at room temperature for 1 minute to allow adherence of the charged sperm to the wall of the centrifuge tube. Tubes were hold by the cap to avoid grounding of the tube. After 1 minute the tubes were centrifuged at 200g for 5 minutes. Then, the medium and pellet were discarded in order to discard non adhering sperm and other cells. The surface of tube was washed by 0.2ml of Ham's F10+ FCS 10% in order to neutralize the charge on the wall of the tube and detach the adhering sperm. The collected medium at the bottom of each tube was repipetted and used to rinse the wall of the same tube several times to increase the number of recovered sperm . Aliquots of the detached sperm were dealt with like previous arm |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 37 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- unexplained infertile couples for 2 years
- age from 20 years old to 37 years old
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- endometriosis cases
- uterine factors
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| sperm processing methoddifferent sperm processing method for selcting most proper sperm for ICSI | Procedure or surgery | sperm gradient centrifugation, swim up method, zeta method |
Primary outcome
Sperm DNA fragmentation
Time frame: 30 minutes
measure sperm integrity by halosperm assay
3 secondary outcomes
Oocyte fertilization rate
Time frame: day 1
Blastulation rate
Time frame: day 5
pregnancy rate
Time frame: 15 days
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: no fund). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Sep 2022.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2/3 study testing sperm processing method in people with Sperm DNA Fragmentation, run by Benha University at 1 site in Egypt.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Sep 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Egypt. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this combined phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: no fund). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Sperm DNA fragmentation (time frame: 30 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Sep 2022.