title: Semen quality of male smokers and nonsmokers in infertile couples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on main sperm variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men attending the andrology laboratory in the context of infertility investigation in the couple.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight hundred thirty-nine smokers and 1,266 non-smokers were enrolled; 655 smokers and 1,131 nonsmokers fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were compared. Standard clinical analysis of semen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cigarette smoking was associated with a significant decrease in sperm density (-15.3%), total sperm count (-17.5%), total number of motile sperm (-16.6%), and citrate concentration (-22.4%). The percentage of normal forms was significantly reduced in smokers, and sperm vitality, ejaculate volume, and fructose concentration were slightly but nonsignificantly affected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cigarette smoking is associated with reduced semen quality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Künzle
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hänggi
authors.forename: Martin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Birkhäuser
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Drescher
authors.forename: Nick A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bersinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002951:Citrates / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004542:Ejaculation; D005260:Female; D005632:Fructose / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D005632:Fructose