title: [Determination of plasma homocysteine in oligospermia and/or asthenospermia patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detect the level of fasting plasma homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia and to investigate its clinical significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semen quality analyses and fasting plasma Hcy determination were performed for 86 infertility patients (21 with oligospermia, 32 with asthenospermia and 33 with oligo-asthenospermia) and 19 normal fertile volunteers. The results were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of plasma Hcy was significantly higher in the infertility patients than in the normal controls (P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with sperm concentration (r = -0.433, P < 0.01), the percentage of grade a sperm (r = -0.303, P < 0.05) and the percentage of grade a+b sperm (r = -0.339, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased level of human plasma Hcy directly or indirectly affects spermatogenesis and correlates negatively with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Andrology, PLA Research Institute of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Region, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Chun-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Luo-Xuan
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Xin-Yi
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Yu-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000097:blood*; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine