DETERMINATION OF SERUM GONADOTROPIN AND TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN MALE INFERTILITY

Abstract

Objective: To determine the levels and ratios of serum LH, FSH and Testosterone, among men having

history of infertility.

Material and Methods: A non-interventional descriptive study was carried out in the Department of

Public Health Laboratories Division, NIH, Islamabad from January 2004 to December 2005. Two hundred

fifty infertile men, classified as azoospermic (50), oligozoospermic (75), asthenozoospermic (50) and

normozoospermic (75) were studied for serum LH, FSH and Testosterone, in addition to 50 proven fathers.

Results: The respective FSH (mIU/ml), LH (mIU/ml) and Testosterone (nmol/L) levels for the groups were

22.924.15, 13.852.33 and 11.860.70 (Azoospermia), 16.823.79, 10.921.22 and 11.88+1.06

(Oligozoospermia), 3.220.61, 3.921.17 and 16.24+2.05 (Asthenozoospermia) while in normozoospermic

men were 5.530.52, 7.400.60 and 17.29+1.02, The proven fathers group had 7.74+0.71 mIU/ml LH,

6.75+1.06 mIU/ml FSH and 15.88+1.15 nmol/ml testosterone, respectively.

The LH/FSH and FSH/LH ratios were 0.77+0.08 and 1.84+0.22 (Azoospermia), 1.78+0.41 and 1.47+0.18

(Oligozoospermia), 1.51+0.46 and 1.28+0.28 (Asthenozoospermia) while in normozoospermic and proven

fathers were 1.55+0.16 and 0.85+0.10,1.67+0.22 and0.94+0.12. Similarly, the LH/T and T/LH ratios were

1.17+0.28 and 0.86+2.70 (Azoospermia), 0.92+0.28 and 1.08+0.17 (Oligozoospermia), 0.30+0.10 and

4.14+10.4 (Asthenozoospermia) and in normozoospermic were 0.42+0.08 and 2.34+0.48.The ratios

observed for T/FSH and FSH/T were 0.52+0.17 and 1.93+5.95 (Azoospermia), 0.71+0.28 and 1.42+3.57

(Oligozoospermia), 5.04+3.38 and 0.20+0.30 (Asthenozoospermia) and in normozoospermic men were

2.82+0.90 and 0.35+1.12, while in proven fathers were 4.09+0.57and 1.04+0.53 respectively.

Conclusion: Altered/disturbed concentrations of gonadotropins and androgenic hormones and their ratios

cause infertility, since all these hormones act synergistically.