title: Assessment of male infertility: correlation between results of semen analysis and phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
abstract: To evaluate the usefulness of phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) in assessing male infertility, we compared it with conventional semen analysis. Specimens were obtained from otherwise healthy patient groups as follows: group A, 7 fertile control subjects; group B, 12 azoospermic men after vasectomy; and group C, 11 patients presenting for infertility evaluation. Correlations between established semen analysis parameters and the 31P-MRS-derived ratio of glycerylphosphorylcholine to total phosphate (GPC/TP) were investigated. Group A controls had a mean GPC/TC ratio of 0.10 +/- 0.05, which was the same as that of group C. With the exception of significantly lowered motility and normal morphology in group C (p less than 0.001 and 0.05, respectively) semen analysis parameters in these two groups were similar. In contrast, the GPC/TP ratio in group B (0.05 +/- 0.04) was significantly different from the control (p less than 0.05), which appropriately reflected complete vasal occlusion. The results suggest that a significant portion of seminal GPC is derived from epididymal secretion and that 31P-MRS is useful for monitoring the GPC/TP levels when assessing epididymal function and male infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Bretan
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Vigneron
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hricak
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tom
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moseley
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tanagho
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D005997:Glycerylphosphorylcholine / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D005997:Glycerylphosphorylcholine