Performance of four chambers to measure sperm concentration: results from an external quality assurance programme

Zuvela, Emily; Matson, Phillip

doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.07.008

Cited by 15 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…A plethora of data, including that from well-established Andrology External Quality Assurance schemes, independent of country of origin, demonstrate that there is considerable variability in the results of the basic semen analysis ( 1 , 2 , 3 ). There are several reasons for this, for example, lack of adherence to established methods, poor training, and/or the use of a variety of methods to perform the analysis ( 3 ).…”

Section: Diagnostic Approaches Will Be Improved: Basic Semen Analysis...mentioning

confidence: 99%

What advances may the future bring to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of male sexual and reproductive health?

Barratt

Wang

Baldi

et al. 2022

Fertility and Sterility

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Section: Diagnostic Approaches Will Be Improved: Basic Semen Analysis...mentioning

confidence: 99%

What advances may the future bring to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of male sexual and reproductive health?

Barratt

Wang

Baldi

et al. 2022

Fertility and Sterility

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“…This type of testing attempts to overcome the limitations of clinical standard methods such as microscope-based manual sperm assessment (MSA) and CASA that tend to be labor-intensive, time-consuming or expensive [12–14]. Although CASA is more standardized, manual sperm assessment is still susceptible to intra- and inter-laboratory variabilities [13–16]. Furthermore, the need to provide specimens in clinical settings can be embarrassing for some men and lead to avoidance of medical care.…”

Section: Point-of-care Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of the basic semen analysis and processing sperm

Schardein

Fendereski

Hotaling

2022

Current Opinion in Urology

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Purpose of reviewThe sixth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen was recently published with specific step-by-step instructions for semen evaluation and sperm processing. Point-of-care (POC) testing for semen evaluation and microfluidics for sperm processing are rapidly evolving technologies that could impact how we evaluate and process sperm. Understanding the updated manual in the context of these novel technologies is important.Recent findingsProper standardization of semen evaluation and sperm processing will allow for consistent high-quality results among laboratories worldwide. POC testing could improve access to semen evaluations that generate referrals to male infertility specialists for further assessment. Microfluidics can select functional sperm with decreased DNA fragmentation in semen and testicular biopsy samples for assisted reproductive technology (ART). Clinical outcomes, such as pregnancy rates and live birth rates, have not been shown to be consistently improved with these technologies compared to conventional techniques, although high level evidence research in this area is limited.SummaryPOC testing and microfluidics have the potential to be combined with machine learning technologies to improve fertility care. If these technologies are appropriately optimized, they could change how we evaluate and process sperm, and potentially lead to improved ART outcomes.

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“…Sperm counts with the Makler chamber have been shown to be generally higher than those obtained by the Neubauer hemocytometer in a few studies ( Bailey et al ., 2007 ; Dardmeh et al ., 2021 ; Ginsburg & Armant, 1990 ; Peng et al ., 2015 ; Seaman et al ., 1996 ), although sperm counts demonstrated good agreement between both chambers in other studies ( Cardona-Maya et al ., 2008 ; Marchlewska et al ., 2010 ). Conversely, there has been poor ( Christensen et al ., 2005 ; Zuvela & Matson, 2020 ) and acceptable ( Imade et al ., 1993 ) precision for the Makler chamber. Well-established internal quality control is imperative to detecting errors, thus, improving the quality of laboratory assessments and external quality results ( Kinns et al ., 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agreement and internal quality assurance of the Neubauer hemocytometer and Makler chamber for human sperm concentration determination

Costa,

Onofre,

Onofre

2024

JBRA

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Objective: The Neubauer hemocytometer, as well as the Makler chamber, are devices commonly used in andrology laboratories. The present study aimed to verify if both methods yield comparable results, and whether they can be used interchangeably to determine sperm concentration.Methods: Sperm and latex beads concentration measurements were performed with the Neubauer hemocytometer and the Makler chamber. Fixed and proportional biases were estimated, and the method agreement was determined by assessing sperm concentration results with the Bland and Altman plot. The Coefficient of Variation (CV) and relative bias were calculated as an index of precision and accuracy, respectively, by measuring latex beads target concentrations in both chambers. Results:The Makler chamber systematically overestimated the Neubauer hemocytometer concentration measurements by a mean of -7.99%, with limits of agreement (LOA) between -41% to 25.61% (p<0.001). The fixed bias was found for concentration values inferior to 40 x 10 6 /ml range (p<0.001), but not higher concentration results (p>0.05). Measurements with the Neubauer hemocytometer showed the greatest consistency in the study with the CV ranging from 3.01% to 6.67%; while the CV with the Makler chamber ranged from 8.46% to 25.64%. The relative bias for the Neubauer hemocytometer determinations varied from 0.12% to 8.40%, while for the Makler chamber varied from 7.6% to an overestimation of 38.0%.Conclusions: Measurements made with the Makler chamber demonstrated more variability and a higher degree of overestimation. The Makler chamber is a poor substitute to the Neubauer hemocytometer for evaluation of oligozoospermic samples, although both chambers render similar results for highly concentrated samples.

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Performance of four chambers to measure sperm concentration: results from an external quality assurance programme

Cited by 15 publications

References 26 publications

What advances may the future bring to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of male sexual and reproductive health?

What advances may the future bring to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of male sexual and reproductive health?

Evolution of the basic semen analysis and processing sperm

Agreement and internal quality assurance of the Neubauer hemocytometer and Makler chamber for human sperm concentration determination

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