title: Semen quality and hormonal levels in infertile patients with varicocele.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aim of this study was to evaluate the semen quality and the serum concentration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and Testosterone (T) in infertile patients with and without varicocele.
  
  
  METHODS
  365 infertile patients undergoing Assisted Reproduction Tecnique (ART) were retrospectively included in the study. All subject were evaluated by history, physical examination, semen analysis, semen culture, mixed anti-immunoglobulin reaction test (MAR) for demonstration of sperm agglutination antibodies IgG and IgA, serum FSH and T determination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed 97 (26.6%) patients affected by varicocele compared to 268 (73.4%) without varicocele. A significant reduced percentage of motile spermatozoa (24.58 +/- 21.68 vs 21.01 +/- 12.62, p < 0.001) and lower sperm concentration (15.50 +/- 23.30 vs 16.50 +/- 15.22, p < 0.001) were observed in patients with varicocele compared to patients without varicocele. No significant differences were observed in sperm vitality between the two population of men with and without varicocele. Serum FSH (10.42 +/- 10.84 vs 9.11 +/- 18.81, p < 0.001) and Testosterone (5.73 +/- 5.97 vs 5.21 +/- 2.43, p < 0.001) levels were significantly higher in patients with varicocele compared to patients without varicocele. Detection of IgG and IgA sperm antibodies were negative in both man with and without varicocele.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The direct connection between varicocele and infertility is not clear. The data of the present study suggest that the presence of a clinical varicocele rule out fertility in men affecting the hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction and Gamete Cryopreservation, Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Bari, Italy. clemecant@yahoo.it
authors.forename: Clementina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cantatore
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capuano
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cobuzzi
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vacca
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Coretti
authors.forename: Doriana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Falagario
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spilotros
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bettocchi
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Depalo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014646:Varicocele / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone