ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MALE INFERTILITY AND LEVELS OF GH AND IGF-1

Background

Around 50% of total infertility is attributed to male factor infertility alone, or combined with female infertility, while it affects almost 7% of the total male population.

Semen analysis is the most reliable diagnostic approach for male infertility. Sperm functionality and the ability to fertilize also depends on the seminal plasma profile.

Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) have been proposed to play a pivotal role in male infertility due to their anabolic effects.

The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between seminal plasma levels of GH and IGF-1 and sperm parameters.

Methods

• Fifty men aged between 27 and 55 years (42.3± 6.9) participated in this study.
• Semen analysis was performed, while cell-free seminal plasma was collected following sperm centrifugation.
• Seminal plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and GH were determined by ELISA.
• The participants were further subdivided into normal (group A), asthenozoospermic (group B) and asthenozoospermic plus at least one additional abnormal parameter (group C).

Results

A marginally nonsignificant statistical difference (p = 0.063) was revealed between the GH levels corresponding to the asthenozoospermic and the normal group with the latter presenting with higher GH levels.

A statistically significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was noted between levels of GH and IGF-1 in group C.

The above relationship has also been observed in men with low sperm concentration, vitality, volume and abnormal morphology.

Conclusions

These novel findings require further investigation in order for the biological significance of those associations to be clarified.

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29808481

Dam Thi Minh Phuong, PhD