title: The role of trace elements in male infertility.
abstract: The elemental status of seminal plasma collected from four populations subdivided on the basis of sperm counts is presented. Elemental analysis was performed by inductively coupled plasma-source mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, rubidium, selenium, vanadium, and zinc. The majority of elements reflected no statistically significant differences among the four groups. The role of trace elements in infertility may be more directly related to sperm and whole semen than seminal plasma levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Abou-Shakra
authors.forename: N I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Everard
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements