Objective: To describe a simple method of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) performed on germ cells collected on filters that allows the study of aneuploid sperm frequency in cases of extreme oligozoospermia.
Study design: The aneuploidy rates for chromosomes X, Y and 18 were analyzed in three groups to test the reliability of the filtration-FISH procedure when compared to controls and to evaluate the frequency of aneuploid spermatozoa in five oligospermic men.
Results: Filtration of semen samples before FISH does not modify the basal rate of aneuploidy even after various sperm dilutions. In oligospermic men, the frequency of gonosomal aneuploidies is significantly increased.
Conclusion: The filtration-FISH technique is a powerful method of analyzing chromosomal abnormalities in sperm nuclei in men with extreme oligozoospermia.