TY - JOUR

T1 - Validation of image cytometry for sperm concentration measurement

T2 - Comparison with manual counting of 4010 human semen samples

AU - Egeberg Palme, Dorte L.

AU - Johannsen, Trine Holm

AU - Petersen, Jørgen Holm

AU - Skakkebæk, Niels E.

AU - Juul, Anders

AU - Jørgensen, Niels

AU - Almstrup, Kristian

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Sperm concentration is an essential parameter in the diagnostic evaluation of men from infertile couples. It is usually determined by manual counting using a hemocytometer, and is therefore both laborious and subjective. We have earlier shown that a newly developed image cytometry (IC) method may be used to determine sperm concentration. Here we present a validation of the IC method by analysis of 4010 semen samples. There was high agreement between IC and manual counting at sperm concentrations above 3 mill/ml and in samples with concentrations above 12 mill/ml the two methods can be used interchangeable. However, we found substantial differences in samples below 3 mill/ml. We also assessed the accuracy of the two methods by repeated measurements of 248 samples, which revealed that IC measurements seemed more accurate. Moreover, based on ten samples counted by several operators the IC method had a lower coefficient of variation than the manual method (5% vs 10%), indicating a better precision of the IC method. In conclusion, measurement of sperm concentration by IC can be used at concentrations above 3 mill/ml and seems more accurate and precise than manual counting, making it an attractive option in the daily clinical practice.

AB - Sperm concentration is an essential parameter in the diagnostic evaluation of men from infertile couples. It is usually determined by manual counting using a hemocytometer, and is therefore both laborious and subjective. We have earlier shown that a newly developed image cytometry (IC) method may be used to determine sperm concentration. Here we present a validation of the IC method by analysis of 4010 semen samples. There was high agreement between IC and manual counting at sperm concentrations above 3 mill/ml and in samples with concentrations above 12 mill/ml the two methods can be used interchangeable. However, we found substantial differences in samples below 3 mill/ml. We also assessed the accuracy of the two methods by repeated measurements of 248 samples, which revealed that IC measurements seemed more accurate. Moreover, based on ten samples counted by several operators the IC method had a lower coefficient of variation than the manual method (5% vs 10%), indicating a better precision of the IC method. In conclusion, measurement of sperm concentration by IC can be used at concentrations above 3 mill/ml and seems more accurate and precise than manual counting, making it an attractive option in the daily clinical practice.

KW - Image cytometry

KW - Manual counting

KW - Reproducibility

KW - Sperm concentration

U2 - 10.1016/j.cca.2017.02.014

DO - 10.1016/j.cca.2017.02.014

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28242391

AN - SCOPUS:85016712216

VL - 468

SP - 114

EP - 119

JO - Clinica Chimica Acta

JF - Clinica Chimica Acta

SN - 0009-8981

ER -