title: Relationship between sperm characteristics and hormonal parameters in normal couples.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationships between hormone profiles and semen analysis measures and fertility in the male partners of presumed normal couples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy volunteers in an academic research environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred forty-five reproductive age couples without known risk factors for infertility and who had discontinued contraception to achieve pregnancy completed this component of this study. Each couple was followed for < or =12 menstrual cycles while they attempted to conceive.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen quality measures for the first ejaculates were obtained at the start of the study along with a single blood sample. Levels of FSH, bioactive FSH, inhibin B, LH, and T were measured for each man.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen analysis, FSH, inhibin B, LH, T, and clinical pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant positive relationships were observed between the two measures of FSH as well as between both of the FSH measures and LH. Follicle-stimulating hormone as measured by RIA was significantly negatively correlated with inhibin B. Inhibin B showed a marginally significant negative correlation with LH, and LH and T had a marginally significant positive correlation. Inhibin B increased significantly, and both measures of FSH activity showed significant decreases, with increasing levels in several semen quality measures. There was no significant relationship between the measured hormones and the pregnant and nonpregnant groups or time to pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results contribute additional information on the utility of reproductive hormone measurements for predicting semen quality in couples without known reduced fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA.
authors.forename: Meike L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Uhler
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zinaman
authors.forename: Charles C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Clegg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: C422364:inhibin B; D013739:Testosterone; D007265:Inhibins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone