Background and objectives. The basic semen analysis not always clearly indicate the cause of fertility problems in men. One of the additional diagnostic method is assessment of sperm chromatin maturity refl ecting proper remodeling and condensation of the genetic material during spermiogenesis. The aim of the study was to fi nd the relationship between the basic parameters of semen and sperm chromatin maturity.

Material and methods. Th e standard semen analysis (WHO, 2010) was carried out on spermatozoa of men (n = 63) of infertile couples. The staining with acidic solution of aniline blue (AB) (red – mature chromatin, blue – immature chromatin) was used to evaluate the sperm chromatin maturity.
Results. The proportion of mature sperm chromatin (AB-negative cells) was in the range 8–83 (median 45%). Patients with abnormal percentage of AB-negative sperms (r_s = 0.46), and the concentration of leukocytes in the semen (r_s = −0.26).
Interpretation and conclusions. The results suggest that disorders of sperm concentration and morphology as well as the number of leukocytes in the ejaculate may be accompanied by abnormalities of sperm chromatin remodeling manifested by an increased amount of nuclear histones.