[The acridine orange test. A new parameter in assessing the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa].

Simultaneously with in vitro fertilization (IVF), the acridine orange (AO) test was performed on 51 patients according to the method of Tejada et al. This test allows a differentiation of spermatozoa with intact (double-stranded) and denatured (single-sanded) DNA. A significant relationship was demonstrated between the percentage of green-fluorescing (intact) sperm and the results of IVF. For both, the groups with (n = 40) and without (n = 11) fertilization of human eggs, a positive correlation was found between AO-test and sperm motility, and AO-test and normal sperm morphology.