Genetic aspects of the teratozoospermia

Recent mutation identification in well-known sperm defects gives proof that there are genetic causes of infertility. Familial forms and some features of the spermograms lead toward the genetic origin of these syndromes. For each syndrome, several clinical aspects and partial forms were described. In these latter, apparently normal spermatozoa coexist with those showing the phenotype of interest. Transmission electron microscopy is the better tool to characterize the specific details of each syndrome. The frequency of genetic teratozoospermia is weak, the most studied syndromes are the globozoospermia, the macrocephaly, the syndrome of decapitated spermatozoa and the dyplasia of the fibrous sheat. A mutation was identified for two from these syndromes, but the two mutations does not account for all the cases from each syndrome. The various clinical aspects observed for each syndrome suggest that either other mutations or other genes are probably involved in these spermatogenic failures. The use of spermatozoa from patients for intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may pose two problems: fertilization problems and genetic risk for the progeny, including chromosomic and genic risk. Except for total macrocephaly which is excluded from ICSI because of sperm chromosomal abnormalities, these syndromes are consistent with assisted fertilization, but with uncertain rates of fertilization and pregnancy. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.