Hijaluronska kiselina, poznata i pod nazivom hijaluronan
UNDERSTANDING AND TREATING MALE INFERTILITY
Why the HBA test?
The Sperm-Hyaluronan Binding Assay is designed to allow the assessment of sperm quality, degree of maturity and fertilization potential.
Standard sperm analysis has a limited ability to assess the fertilization potential of the sample. The parameters that serve as indicators of the sperm sample and cannot be examined by standard analysis are:
- Cytoplasmic inclusion. In the final stage of maturation, a functional spermatozoon expels excess cytoplasm
- Sperm creatine phosphokinase. Significant correlations have been demonstrated in numerous studies between elevated SCP levels and reduced male gamete function
- HspA2 Chaperone Protein. Sperm with a low concentration of HspA2 have a higher risk for chromosomal abnormalities and DNA fragmentation
Whether sperm binds properly to hyaluronan or not can serve as an important indicator of the fertilization potential of the sample. High levels of hyaluronan binding indicate that sperm do not contain abnormal cytoplasmic inclusions.
The role of hyaluronan
Hyaluronan, or hyaluronic acid, is a type of sugar found in connective, epithelial and neural tissue. Hyaluronan is an important component of the cells that surround the egg cell, i.e. cumulus cells. Cumulus cells have multiple roles in egg maturation.
In the last stage of sperm maturation, i.e. spermatogenesis, sperm develops the ability to bind to hyaluronan.
The ability of sperm to bind to hyaluronan is a representative indicator of sperm health and maturity.
It is this ability of sperm to bind to the hyaluronan of the cumulus cells that surround the ovum that is a natural mechanism that enables fertilization with sperm that are healthy and mature, in the in vivo conditions. in vivo uslovima.
Test methods
During the test, the sample is collected in the same way as for conventional sperm analysis. After processing the sample in the embryology laboratory, it is placed on special slides enriched with hyaluronan. Mature sperm will bind to hyaluronan, which can be seen under a microscope, while immature sperm will remain unbound.
The percentage of bound and unbound sperm is calculated, which makes up the HBA result. A result greater than 70% is considered normal, a result less than 70% is considered abnormal.
Clinical significance of the HBA test
It allows insight into the difference between mature sperm that have hyaluronan receptors and those that do not. With the help of HBA results, it is possible to decide which treatment is best for our patients.
Correlation between HBA and successful pregnancy
A detailed study conducted found that for every 1% increase in the HBA result, the chance of pregnancy increases by 4%.
