@article {941,
	title = {Validation of safety procedures for the cryopreservation of semen contaminated with hepatitis C virus in assisted reproductive technology.},
	journal = {Hum Reprod},
	volume = {19},
	year = {2004},
	month = {Jul},
	pages = {1554 - 7},
	abstract = {In France, assisted reproductive technologies involving a hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected man requires the cryopreservation of potentially infected semen (in order to establish the presence of HCV), hence the need for a safe and secure storage system. We evaluated the safety of high-security straws for the conservation of semen containing HCV RNA under routine conditions.|Ionomeric resin (IR) straws were filled with seminal plasma spiked with different concentrations of HCV RNA and sealed using a thermo-solder. After a 4\% sodium hypochlorite treatment and/or cryopreservation for 7 days in liquid nitrogen, the outside ends of each straw were rinsed with RNAse-free water.|No HCV RNA could be detected in any of the water samples. Additional samples included the rinsing water from straws sealed by thermo-solder and from the heating wire used to cut the end of straws containing HCV-positive semen. The latter samples were found positive for both HCV RNA and the protamine-2 gene expressed by spermatozoa.|These results demonstrate the safety of IR straws, the filling system and the thermo-solder for cryopreservation of semen containing HCV in liquid nitrogen. Decontamination of the straw after sealing and the use of disposable scissors to open the straws are strongly recommended.},
	keywords = {Cryopreservation, Hepacivirus, Humans, Male, Reproductive Techniques, Assisted, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, RNA, Viral, Semen, Semen Preservation, Therapeutic Irrigation, Water Microbiology},
	issn = {0268-1161},
	doi = {deh275 [pii] 10.1093/humrep/deh275},
	author = {Maertens,A. and Bourlet,T. and Plotton,N. and Pozzetto,B. and Levy,R.}
}
