title: A prospective randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia.
abstract: In this first prospective, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study, 28 infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia received acupuncture according to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and 29 infertile patients received placebo acupuncture. A significantly higher percentage of motile sperm (World Health Organization categories A-C), but no effect on sperm concentration, was found after acupuncture compared with placebo acupuncture.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Dortmund, Germany; Infertility Center Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany. Electronic address: dieterle@ivf-dortmund.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dieterle
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chunfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Infertility Center Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greb
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartzsch
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hatzmann
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Witten/Herdecke, Dortmund, Germany; Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dongmei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods; D053627:Asthenozoospermia / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods; D010919:Placebos; D011247:Pregnancy; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos