Correlation between Seminal Fluid Analysis and Levels of Gonadotropins in Serum and Seminal Plasma of Normozoospermic Men and Infertile Patients

Levels of serum gonadotropins have direct effects on testicular functions and spermatogenesis. Assessment of levels of serum gonadotropins from fathered subjects and infertile patients indicates wide range diversity. In this study, we tried to find out whether the levels of seminal FSH and LH affect the parameters of seminal fluid analysis (SFA) and if there is any correlation between levels of serum FSH and LH in healthy men and infertile patients.

Levels of FSH and LH in serum and seminal plasma were assessed randomly, in addition to examination of seminal fluid analysis from 12 normozoospermic subjects (age range: 33-56 years) and 66 infertile patients (age range: 20-62 years) with duration of infertility (15-201 months). Macroscopic and microscopic parameters of semen specimens were determined. Data were statistically analyzed using multiple correlation and regression, and MANOVA tests.

Result of the present study observed significant positive correlation between FSH levels in serum and seminal plasma (r=0.984; p<0.001) of normozoospermic subjects as compared to other groups of infertile patients. No correlations were noticed between LH levels in serum and seminal plasma of normozoospermic subjects and groups of infertile patients. Significant and positive correlation was assessed between sperm concentration and levels of seminal FSH (r=0.822; p<0.05 and r=0.940; p<0.01) and seminal LH (r=0.989; p<0.001 and r=0.999; p<0.001) of asthenozoospermic and OAT patients respectively. In asthenozoospermic patients, significant and positive correlations were observed between seminal FSH and percentages of sperm motility, progressive motility, sperm normal morphology and total progressive motile sperm/ejaculate.

This study shows a strong association and effect between seminal FSH and serum FSH and parameters of SFA for normozoospermic men and different groups of infertile patients. These finding may call for large cohorts being executed with larger population of patients that is required for this analysis to be more accurate.