title: [Impact of varicocele on semen quality and inhibin B concentration in serum and seminal plasma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of varicocele (VC) on semen parameters and the concentration of inhibin B in the serum and seminal plasma of VC men.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected semen and peripheral blood samples from 95 infertile VC patients and 55 normal fertile men. We performed semen routine examination by computer-assisted semen analysis and sperm morphology examination by modified Papanicolaou staining, and measured the levels of inhibin B in the peripheral blood and seminal plasma of the subjects by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the normal fertile controls, the infertile men with grade-I, -II and -III VC showed significantly lower percentages of morphologically normal sperm ([7.5 +/- 5.2]% vs [6.3 +/- 6.5]%, [2.6 +/- 3.0]% and [1.0 +/- 0.7]%, P < 0.05) and progressively motile sperm ([43.9 +/- 22.7]% vs [33.3 +/- 20.8]%, [28.9 +/- 19.8]% and [13.5 +/- 8.4]%, P < 0.05). The majority of the morphologically abnormal sperm were of the type of head deformity. The concentrations of inhibin B in the peripheral blood and seminal plasma were evidently lower in the infertile men with grade-I VC ([160.9 +/- 48.9] pg/ml and [208.3 +/- 28.1] pg/ml), grade-II VC ([150.6 +/- 44.7] pg/ml and [201.5 +/- 83.5] pg/ml), and grade-III VC ([132.6 +/- 41.5] pg/ml and [150.2 +/- 51.6] pg/ml) in comparison with those of the fertile control group ([201.0 +/- 38.1] pg/ml and [225.3 +/- 82.5] pg/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Varicocele reduces sperm motility, increases sperm abnormality, decreases the concentration of inhibin B in the serum and seminal plasma, and consequently damages male fertility.
authors: Center of Reproductive Medicine, Linyi Peoples Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276002, China.
authors: Mei-Ju
authors: MJ
authors: Liu
authors: Center of Reproductive Medicine, Linyi Peoples Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276002, China.
authors: En-Hua
authors: EH
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055101:Semen Analysis; D013081:Sperm Motility; D014646:Varicocele / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C422364:inhibin B; D007265:Inhibins