TY - JOUR T1 - Validation of safety procedures for the cryopreservation of semen contaminated with hepatitis C virus in assisted reproductive technology. JF - Hum Reprod Y1 - 2004 A1 - Maertens,A. A1 - Bourlet,T. A1 - Plotton,N. A1 - Pozzetto,B. A1 - Levy,R. KW - Cryopreservation KW - Hepacivirus KW - Humans KW - Male KW - Reproductive Techniques, Assisted KW - Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction KW - RNA, Viral KW - Semen KW - Semen Preservation KW - Therapeutic Irrigation KW - Water Microbiology AB - 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. VL - 19 CP - 7 ID - 941 ER -