Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42084913›Full record

ArticleAsian journal of andrology2026

Fresh or frozen testicular sperm? Guidance from an etiology-classified retrospective study on ICSI cycles for patients with azoospermia.

Zi-Jue Zhu, Liang-Hong Ma, Cun-Zhong Deng, Fu-Rong Bai, Peng Li, Li-Na Zhou, Shan Jiang, Xiao-Jin He, Zheng Li, Wei Chen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Asian journal of andrology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Zi-Jue ZhuDepartment of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Liang-Hong MaNingxia Human Sperm Bank, Department of Urology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan 750001, China.
Cun-Zhong DengDepartment of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Fu-Rong BaiDepartment of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Peng LiDepartment of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Li-Na ZhouReproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Shan JiangReproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Xiao-Jin HeReproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Zheng LiDepartment of Andrology, Center for Men's Health, Urologic Medical Center, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.
Wei ChenReproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Using testicular sperm, men with azoospermia can father children. Sperm cryopreservation helps avoid the risk of cycle canceling because of the failure of testicular sperm retrieval. However, cryopreservation of testicular sperm can potentially impair sperm function. In addition, the different qualities of testicular sperm retrieved from men with various etiologies of azoospermia can lead to different intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes after sperm cryopreservation. A retrospective analysis was performed to elucidate the influence of frozen testicular sperm from men with different etiologies of azoospermia on assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment outcomes. Testicular sperm retrieval rates were also compared. The fertilization rate was found to be influenced by testicular sperm cryopreservation in most cases, especially for patients with azoospermia factor c (AZFc) deletion, and embryo development was significantly impeded when frozen testicular sperm from Klinefelter syndrome (KS) patients were used. Moreover, ART treatment outcomes after embryo transfer were not significantly influenced by testicular sperm cryopreservation for any of the etiologies. In addition, significantly higher sperm retrieval rates were achieved in cryptorchidism, KS, and AZFc deletion patients, whereas the testicular sperm retrieval rate was significantly lower in patients with idiopathic nonobstructive azoospermia. Collectively, our findings suggest that except for patients with KS, testicular sperm retrieval prior to initiating ovarian stimulation of the patient's partner should be considered the first-line approach. In addition, assisted oocyte activation should be performed in ICSI cycles using frozen testicular sperm, especially for patients with AZFc deletion.

Indexed as

AzoospermiaCryopreservationSemen PreservationSpermatozoaSperm Injections, IntracytoplasmicSperm RetrievalAdultEmbryo TransferFemaleHumansKlinefelter SyndromeMalePregnancyRetrospective StudiesTestisassisted reproductive technologyazoospermiaintracytoplasmic sperm injectionsperm cryopreservationtesticular sperm extraction

Identifiers

PMID42084913
PMCPMC13623333

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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.