Assessment of Thyroid Functions and its Relationship With Semen Quality in Men

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, a partial relationship has been discovered between thyroid hormones and the formation of germ cells and the process of spermatogenesis. The current study aimed to assess thyroid hormone levels and the relationship between those levels and semen quality. Methods: Forty-seven infertile males, as the treatment group, and 25 healthy individuals, as the control group, were enrolled in this study. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3) hormone, and tetraiodothyronine (T4) hormone were calculated, and the parameters of seminal fluid (count, motility, and morphology) were assessed for semen quality. Results: The results demonstrated that sperm counts, sperm motility%, and normal morphology% were significantly lower in the infertile male group compared with the healthy group. The results further represented a highly significant level of TSH and total T3, while the total T4 was negligible in the infertile male group in comparison with the healthy group. The infertile male group was divided into subgroups based on sperm abnormalities, including asthenozoospermia, oligozoospermia, and azoospermia. Based on the findings, there was a significant reduction in TSH, T3, and T4 levels in oligozoospermia compared with the other groups. However, the levels of TSH, T3, and T4 were significantly higher in asthenozoospermia compared with the other groups, demonstrating the existence of a relationship between thyroid indicators and Asthenozoospermia. Conclusion: Overall, the mean serum levels of TSH, T3, and T4 were significantly lower in the infertile male group compared with the healthy group. Thus, they were negatively associated with sperm counts, motility%, and normal morphology%. Hence, these negative impacts on thyroid hormones were associated with different sperm abnormalities and semen quality in the infertile males group.