title: The relationship between serum hormone levels (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, total testosterone) and semen parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of serum gonadotropin and total testosterone levels on semen parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and eighty-two patients that applied to a male infertility polyclinic were included in our study. Serum gonadotropin and total testosterone levels and semen parameters of the patients were analyzed during the first visit to the clinic. The reference FSH value was 1.5-12.4 mIU/mL, that of LH was 1.7-8.6 mIU/mL and the reference value for total testosterone was 249-836 ng/dL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While there was no statistically significant difference between the patients with low gonadotropin levels and the controls regarding any of the semen parameters (p &gt; 0.05), there was a strong statistically significant difference between the patients with high gonadotropin levels and the controls regarding sperm concentration (p = 0.000), total motility (p = 0.000), progressive motility (p = 0.000), and morphology (p = 0.000). There was a strong statistically significant difference between the patients with low testosterone levels and the controls regarding total motility (p = 0.012) and progressive motility (p = 0.010), and a weak statistically significant difference in morphology (p = 0.042). There was no statistically significant difference in semen volume or sperm concentration (p &gt; 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in any of the semen parameters between the patients with high testosterone levels and the controls (p &gt; 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings especially regarding LH and T levels are not in agreement with previous reports. In this regard, there is a need for larger-scale and randomized trials to resolve this discrepancy.
authors.affiliation: Tepecik Research and Education Hospital, Clinic of Urology, Izmir. zeynel_akd@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet Zeynel
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Keskin
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Budak
authors.forename: Tuǧba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zeyrek
authors.forename: Orçun
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Çelik
authors.forename: Oguz
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mertoglu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoldas
authors.forename: Yusuf Özlem
authors.initials: YÖ
authors.lastname: Ilbey
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055101:Semen Analysis / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D015415:Biomarkers; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone