title: Beta-endorphin in serum and seminal plasma in infertile men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To access beta-endorphin levels in serum as well as seminal plasma in different infertile male groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Beta-endorphin was estimated in the serum and seminal plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method in 80 infertile men equally divided into four groups: non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), obstructive azoospermia (OA), congenital bilateral absent vas deferens (CBVAD) and asthenozoospermia. The results were compared to those of 20 normozoospermic proven fertile men.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a decrease in the mean levels of beta-endorphin in the seminal plasma of all successive infertile groups (mean +/- SD: NOA 51.30 +/- 27.37, OA 51.88 +/- 9.47, CBAVD 20.36 +/- 13.39, asthenozoospermia 49.26 +/- 12.49 pg/mL, respectively) compared to the normozoospermic fertile control (87.23 +/- 29.55 pg/mL). This relation was not present in mean serum level of beta-endorphin between four infertile groups (51.09 +/- 14.71, 49.76 +/- 12.4, 33.96 +/- 7.2, 69.1 +/- 16.57 pg/mL, respectively) and the fertile control group (49.26 +/- 31.32 pg/mL). The CBVAD group showed the lowest seminal plasma mean level of beta-endorphin. Testicular contribution of seminal beta-endorphin was estimated to be approximately 40%. Seminal beta-endorphin showed significant correlation with the sperm concentration (r = 0.699, P = 0.0188) and nonsignificant correlation with its serum level (r = 0.375, P = 0.185) or with the sperm motility percentage (r = 0.470, P = 0.899).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The estimation of beta-endorphin alone is not conclusive to evaluate male reproduction as there are many other opiates acting at the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis.
authors.affiliation: Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 12311, Egypt.
authors.forename: Shawky
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Haggar
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Ashmawy
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: Taymour
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mostafa
authors.forename: M M Farid
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Roaiah
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fayez
authors.forename: Sherif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghazi
authors.forename: Wael
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zohdy
authors.forename: Nagwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roshdy
mesh_terms: D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012661:Semen / Q000737:chemistry*; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000002:abnormalities; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001615:beta-Endorphin