Fecundability according to male serum inhibin B--a prospective study among first pregnancy planners.
BACKGROUND
New biological markers of male fecundity are needed for use in large-scale epidemiological studies. We studied the association between male inhibin B and fecundability.


METHODS
Four hundred and thirty Danish couples without previous reproductive experience were followed from termination of contraception until pregnancy or for a maximum of six menstrual cycles. At enrolment we obtained semen samples (n = 418) and blood samples to measure reproductive hormones, including inhibin B (n = 343).


RESULTS
The fecundability odds ratio for an increment of male inhibin B by 1 log pg/ml was 1.428 (95% confidence interval 1.022-1.994), adjusted for factors influencing the crude estimate. Only inhibin B values below 100 pg/ml were strongly related to fecundability. We designed a receiver operating characteristic curve based on the 29 males with serum inhibin B #100 pg/ml. The area under the curve (AUC) for inhibin B was 0.787 and the corresponding AUCs for sperm density and FSH were 0.913 and 0.800, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum inhibin B may be a reliable marker of male fecundity for epidemiological research and may have some advantages over sperm density. Our findings do not support the replacement of sperm density by male inhibin B when obtaining sperm data is an option.
Mabeck
L M
LM
Department of Occupational Medicine, University Hospital of Aarhus, Aarhus Sygehus, Denmark.
Jensen
M S
MS
Toft
G
G
Thulstrup
M
M
Andersson
M
M
Jensen
T K
TK
Giwercman
A
A
Olsen
J
J
Bonde
J P
JP
D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015415:Biomarkers; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D017584:Reproductive History; D018456:Reproductive Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D012661:Semen / Q000378:metabolism; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D015415:Biomarkers; C422364:inhibin B; D007265:Inhibins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone