Semen analysis

About: Semen analysis is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 4909 publications have been published within this topic receiving 143225 citations.

Association of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D levels with semen and hormonal parameters.

Abstract: Vitamin D levels have been linked to various health outcomes including reproductive disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the association between serum vitamin D level (25-hydroxy-vitamin D, or 25OHD) and semen and hormonal parameters. This is a cross-sectional study that included 170 healthy men recruited for the study of spermatogenesis from the general population. Men completed general and reproductive health questionnaires, and donated blood and semen samples. The main measures were hormonal (total and free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone) and semen parameters, adjusted (n=147) for age, body mass index (BMI), season, alcohol intake and smoking, in relation to categories of vitamin D levels, determined a priori. The mean age of the study population was 29.0±8.5 years and mean BMI was 24.3±3.2 kg m(-2). The mean 25OHD was 34.1±15.06 ng ml(-1). BMI showed a negative association with 25OHD. Sperm concentration, sperm progressive motility, sperm morphology, and total progressively motile sperm count were lower in men with '25OHD≥50 ng ml(-1)' when compared to men with '20 ng ml(-1)≤25OHD<50 ng ml(-1)'. Total sperm count and total progressive motile sperm count were lower in men with '25OHD<20 ng ml(-1)' when compared to men with '20 ng ml(-1)≤25OHD<50 ng ml(-1)'. The adjusted means of various hormonal parameters did not show statistical difference in the different categories of 25OHD. In conclusion, serum vitamin D levels at high and low levels can be negatively associated with semen parameters.

Clomiphene Administration for Cases of Nonobstructive Azoospermia: A Multicenter Study

Abstract: Clomiphene citrate is a well-established agent thathas been empirically used in cases of idiopathic oligospermia. Clo-miphene increases endogenous gonadotropin-releasing hormonesecretion from the hypothalamus and gonadotropin hormone secre-tion directly from the pituitary and, thus, increases intratesticulartes-tosterone concentration. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI), very few sperm may be required for fertilization.Theobjectiveof this study was to determine if the application of clomiphenecitratein males with nonobstructive azoospermia might produce sufficientsperm for ICSI, either by resulting in sperm identified in the ejaculateor by potentially improving outcomes of surgical testicular sperm ex-traction. Forty-two patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (agerange, 25–39 years) from 3 international centers were evaluatedwithroutine history, physical examination, and hormonal assessment.Ini-tial testicular biopsy demonstrated maturation arrest in 42.9% andhypospermatogenesis in 57.1% of patients. Clomiphene citrate wasadministered, with the dose titrated to achieve serum testosteronelevels between 600 ng/dL and 800 ng/dL, and semen analyses wereperformed at periodic intervals. In patients remaining azoospermicon semen analysis, surgical testicular biopsy and sperm extractionwere performed. After clomiphene citrate therapy, 64.3% of the pa-tients demonstrated sperm in their semen analyses ranging from 1to 16 million sperm/mL, with a mean sperm density of 3.8 million/mL. Sufficient sperm for ICSI was retrieved by testicular sperm ex-traction in all patients, even though 35.7% remained azoospermic.Additionally, clomiphene citrate administration resulted in a statisti-cally significant increase in testis biopsy patterns associated withgreater likelihood of sperm obtained by surgical extraction (P, .05).We conclude that clomiphene citrate administration may result insperm in the ejaculate of patients with nonobstructive azoospermiaor the simplification of testis sperm retrieval. Surgeons may considera course of clomiphene citrate administration prior to surgical spermretrieval in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia.Key words: Hypospermatogenesis, maturation arrest, ICSI,TESE.J Androl 2005;26:787–791