ABB Andrology flashcards
ABB Andrology · Build recall with a focused review session.
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- Lower reference sperm concentration
- WHO 5th-edition 5th-centile value is 15 million sperm per mL, derived from fertile men whose partners conceived within 12 months.
- Lower reference total sperm number
- The WHO 5th-edition 5th-centile lower limit for total sperm per ejaculate is 39 million, calculated as concentration times volume.
- Progressive motility threshold
- WHO lower reference limit for progressive motility (grades a plus b) is 32 percent; total motility (a+b+c) lower limit is 40 percent.
- Strict morphology cutoff
- Using strict Tygerberg criteria, the WHO 5th-edition lower reference limit for normal morphology is 4 percent of sperm.
- Eosin-nigrosin vitality test
- Dye-exclusion assay in which membrane-damaged (dead) sperm stain dark; live sperm exclude dye. WHO vitality lower limit is 58 percent.
- Abstinence interval requirement
- Semen collection should follow 2 to 7 days of abstinence; longer intervals raise volume but may lower motility and normal morphology.
- Density gradient centrifugation
- Sperm preparation using layered colloid densities (e.g., 40/80 percent) that pellets motile, morphologically normal sperm while removing seminal plasma and debris.
- Swim-up preparation
- Technique where motile sperm migrate upward into overlaid culture medium, yielding a highly motile population but lower total recovery than gradient methods.
- Capacitation requirements
- In vitro capacitation requires bicarbonate, calcium, and cholesterol acceptors such as albumin; it prepares sperm for the acrosome reaction and fertilization.
- Sperm DNA fragmentation
- Measure of chromatin strand breaks by SCSA, TUNEL, or Comet assay; elevated levels associate with poor fertilization and pregnancy outcomes in ART.
- Cryoprotectant for sperm freezing
- Glycerol is the standard permeating cryoprotectant for sperm; slow controlled cooling and rapid thawing maximize post-thaw motile recovery.
- Hyaluronan binding assay
- Functional test measuring sperm binding to hyaluronan; low binding indicates immature sperm and correlates with abnormal morphology and poor fertilization potential.
- LH action in males
- Luteinizing hormone stimulates Leydig cells to synthesize testosterone, which supports spermatogenesis and provides negative feedback to the pituitary.
- FSH action in males
- Follicle-stimulating hormone acts on Sertoli cells to support spermatogenesis; elevated FSH suggests seminiferous tubule failure.
- Primary hypogonadism pattern
- Low total testosterone with elevated LH and FSH indicates testicular failure (primary hypogonadism), as in Klinefelter syndrome or post-chemotherapy.
- Secondary hypogonadism pattern
- Low testosterone with low or inappropriately normal LH and FSH indicates a hypothalamic-pituitary defect, such as Kallmann syndrome or prolactinoma.
- Morning testosterone sampling
- Total testosterone peaks between 07:00 and 10:00; samples should be drawn in the morning and abnormal results confirmed on repeat testing.
- Free testosterone calculation
- Free testosterone is computed from total testosterone, SHBG, and albumin (Vermeulen equation); low SHBG can mask deficiency when only total is measured.
- Prolactin and male fertility
- Hyperprolactinemia suppresses GnRH release, causing hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with low testosterone; prolactin is measured when gonadotropins are low.
- FSH in obstructive azoospermia
- Obstructive azoospermia typically shows normal testicular volume and normal FSH, whereas non-obstructive failure often shows small testes and high FSH.
- Internal quality control
- Laboratory runs control materials with each batch and plots results on Levey-Jennings charts to detect systematic and random error.
- External quality assessment
- Proficiency testing in which blinded samples are analyzed and results compared with peer laboratories; required for CAP and CLIA compliance.
- Poisson counting error
- Hemocytometer counts follow Poisson statistics; duplicate counts should agree within roughly twice the square root of the counted number of cells.
- Morphology inter-observer agreement
- Agreement among technologists grading morphology is monitored using reference slides and kappa statistics; drift triggers retraining.
- Temperature monitoring logs
- Incubators, refrigerators, and water baths are continuously monitored and logged; excursions require documented corrective action.
- ICSI indications
- Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is used for severe oligozoospermia, prior fertilization failure, and surgically retrieved or cryopreserved sperm.
- Micro-TESE
- Microdissection testicular sperm extraction retrieves focal sperm-containing tubules in non-obstructive azoospermia under operative microscopy.
- Pronuclear check timing
- Fertilization is assessed 16 to 18 hours after insemination; two pronuclei indicate normal fertilization, three indicate polyspermy.
- Vitrification principle
- Ultra-rapid cooling with high cryoprotectant concentrations produces a glass-like state, avoiding ice crystal injury to oocytes and embryos.
- CLIA categorization
- The U.S. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments classify semen analysis as moderate complexity, requiring qualified personnel and proficiency testing.
- OSHA bloodborne pathogens rule
- 29 CFR 1910.1030 requires an exposure control plan, PPE, hepatitis B vaccination offer, and safe handling of semen and blood specimens.
- FDA donor eligibility testing
- 21 CFR 1271 requires screening and testing semen donors for HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HTLV before use.