HBA score in relation to donor semen profiles and live birth rates: a preliminary study

Abstract

We sought to determine whether sperm donor selection could be improved by using the hyaluronan binding assay (HBA) score to predict live birth rates (LBRs) in donor insemination treatments. Thirty donor samples were included: five fresh samples to assess whether HBA score is affected by cryopreservation and 25 frozen samples from donors whose sperm gave rise to known live births, divided into three groups, with success rates ≥50%, <50–33% and <33%, to examine whether HBA score correlates with LBRs. Correlations with semen analysis parameters, as well as donor demographic factors, known causes of patient subfertility and/or the type of treatment provided were also assessed. There was no significant difference in the mean HBA score pre- and post-cryopreservation (p = 0.998) nor in the HBA score of the three different outcome groups (p = 0.89). HBA score was not significantly affected by other semen analysis parameters (r²=0.394, p = 0.127) or any of the other examined factors. This was the first study to investigate HBA score for cryopreserved donor samples with known LBRs. HBA score was not correlated with LBRs in this small pilot study. Larger studies are required to validate HBA score as a tool for sperm donor selection and predictor of LBRs.

Keywords:

• Hyaluronan binding assay score
• donor sperm
• live birth rate

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Christopher Penfold, for critically evaluating the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.