The Efficacy of Hyaluronic Acid Binding (HAB) in the Treatment of Male Infertility: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid (HA)-binding is reported to predict the fertilising capacity of spermatozoa, while HA-bound sperm selection is reported to reduce the incidence of miscarriage. However, the clinical effectiveness of these techniques remains uncertain. This work investigated the prognostic value of sperm-HA binding (HAB) as a predictor of treatment outcomes, and whether HAB-sperm selection for Invitro fertilisation (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) improves clinical outcomes or reduces miscarriage rates. A systematic review of the literature was carried out. A modified version of the Downs and Black Checklist was used to assess bias and study quality on eleven selected studies. No significant correlations were found between HAB score and fertilisation, clinical pregnancy, or live birth rates (low-quality evidence). Three studies reported a significant reduction in the incidence of miscarriage, including a Cochrane review (low-quality evidence). While the prognostic value of HAB scores is currently undetermined, there is evidence that HAB-sperm selection prior to insemination reduces the incidence of miscarriage following ART. Moreover, there are no reports of detrimental effects of HAB-sperm selection on treatment outcomes when compared with conventional IVF or ICSI. Therefore, it is unclear why it is assigned as a treatment “add-on” with a red light by the HFEA, and why its routine use is not recommended.