Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33532332›Full record

ArticleTranslational andrology and urology2021

Effect of mild α-chymotrypsin treatment of highly viscous semen samples on fertilization rates.

Andreas Schallmoser, Fadi Bakjaji, Sebastian Königsberger, Julia John, Cara Färber, Elke Schmidt, Hannelore Breitenbach-Koller, Jean-Pierre Allam, Jasper Verguts, Nicole Sänger

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational andrology and urology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. HLA-G, IL-6 and TGF-β in Seminal Plasma as Potential Biomarkers of ART Outcome.American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) · 2025
    Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Andreas SchallmoserDepartment of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Fadi BakjajiDepartment of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Sebastian KönigsbergerEurofins Bio Pharma Munich, Munich, Germany.
Julia JohnDepartment of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Cara FärberDepartment of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Elke SchmidtFertility Clinic Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Hannelore Breitenbach-KollerDepartment of Cell Biology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Jean-Pierre AllamJessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium.
Jasper VergutsDepartment of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Nicole SängerDepartment of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
University Hospital Bonn · DEEurofins (Germany) · DEJessa Hospital · BEUniversity of Salzburg · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHighly viscous semen reduces sperm motility significantly and can contribute to infertility. When processing semen samples, few techniques exist to induce liquefaction in case of seminal hyperviscosity such as different washing steps and mechanical treatment. The use of α-chymotrypsin seems controversial due to possible negative effects on fertilisation rates after in vitro fertilization (IVF). The main objective of this study was to examine the influence of mild α-chymotrypsin treatment of semen samples on the fertilisation rate after artificial reproductive treatment (ART).

methodsThe fertilization rate of 52 ART cycles was examined following IVF using a low dose of α-chymotrypsin to induce liquefaction of highly viscous semen and was compared to a control group of 88 ART cycles.

resultsThere was no significant difference in the fertilization rates of α-chymotrypsin treated semen samples compared to the control group; pregnancy rates were unaffected.

conclusionsThe use of mild α-chymotrypsin treatment of semen samples in case of hyperviscosity does not appear to impact negatively on the fertilization rates after ART and could be regarded as an additional method to induce liquefaction of highly viscous semen samples in IVF.

Indexed as

chymotrypsinSemenviscosity

Identifiers

PMID33532332
PMCPMC7844487
OpenAlexW3113523230

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.