title: [Serum follicle-stimulating hormone in combination with serum inhibin B evaluates spermatogenesis of azoospermic men].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study is in an attempt to evaluate the diagnostic significance to predict the spermatogenesis of azoospermic men in examination of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) combination with serum inhibin B (INHB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative examination of serum FSH and INHB was performed in 95 case of azoospermic men. According to their classifications of testicular biopsy with histopathological examination, there were 20 patients of Sertoli cell only, 25 of hypospermatogenesis, 18 of spermatogenic maturation arrest (complete or incomplete), and 32 of normal spermatogenesis. The association of serum FSH and INHB levels with histopathological classifications were analyzed by using statistical software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum FSH, INHB and INHB/FSH levels of Sertoli cell only differed with statistical significance from hypospermatogenesis, spermatogenic maturation arrest and normal spermatogenesis (P<0.05). FSH, in which there were no statistical significance among the latter three classifications (P>0.05). Serum FSH, INHB and INHB/FSH levels were no relationship with maturation arrest (P>0.05), but were negatively related to the other classifications (P<0.05). INHB level less than 28.55 pg/ml predicted Sertoli cell only in a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 85%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum FSH and INHB levels is ineffective to distinguish the spermatogenic classifications from azoospermic men, but they are available to confirm the disease of Sertoli cell only. The other abnormalities of azoospermic men is also dependent on bioptic histopathology to confirm the subtypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Reproductive Medical Center, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.E-mail: dengyj@smu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yongjian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yonghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Junyang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qingjun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000151:congenital; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009845:Oligospermia; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013737:Testis / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C422364:inhibin B; D007265:Inhibins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone