Analysis of 508 infertile male patients in south-western Finland in 1980-2000: hormonal status and factors predisposing to immunological infertility.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the factors predisposing to male immunological infertility from the hospital records of 508 patients that had been treated for infertility in the Turku University Central Hospital from 1980 to 2000. In addition, the hormonal status was investigated at the beginning of treatment.


RESULTS
Patients with a history of mumps, or either a fresh varicocele or a history of varicocele had statistically significant lower levels of MAR antisperm antibodies (ASAs) than patients with no such conditions. Repair of varicocele (either surgical or embolisation), showed a statistically significant enhancement of the total sperm cell counts in ejaculates, but it appeared not to have any influence on other parameters of the semen analysis (mobility and morphology). Of all male infertility patients, 66.3% had normal hormonal status at the beginning of treatment, 12.6% of patients had hypotestosteronemia and 22.1% had subclinical hypogonadism. Patients with subclinical hypogonadism had lower total sperm cell count in ejaculates than patients with normal hormonal status although they had statistically significant more offspring. In addition, it appeared that mumps orchitis as well as smoking and alcohol abuse are risk factors for subclinical hypogonadism.


CONCLUSIONS
No clear predisposing factor for male immunological infertility could be found. However, patients with subclinical hypogonadism differed from other male infertility patients and thus may form a special group among the male infertility patients.
Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedicine and The Turku Graduate School of Clinical Sciences, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland. esolve@utu.fi
Esko
E
Veräjänkorva
Matti
M
Laato
Pasi
P
Pöllänen
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D005387:Finland; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000209:etiology; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009107:Mumps / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000032:analysis; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000276:immunology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
D001323:Autoantibodies; D006728:Hormones; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone