The lack of discriminant seminal and endocrine variables in the partners of fertile and infertile women.

Abstract

Seminal and endocrinological investigations were done on 50 fertile men whose wives became pregnant spontaneously (Group I), on 100 men from our fertility clinic whose wives conceived after treatment of the couple (Group II) and in 100 infertile men whose wives failed to become pregnant even after 5-year treatment of the couple (Group III). Patients with azoospermia were excluded. While there were no significant differences in the mean sperm density and total sperm count of the men from all three groups, mean sperm motility and sperm morphology were significantly better (p less than 0.001) in both Group I and Group II men than in the infertile Group III men. The mean serum LH and FSH concentrations were significantly lower in Group I than in the two other groups. However, there were no differences between Groups II and III. The mean serum concentrations of prolactin, testosterone, and estradiol were similar in all three groups. Based on semen and hormone data, stepwise multiple discriminant analysis could allocate 80% of the Group I men correctly, whereas only 50% of Groups II and III could be correctly classified. Although overall differences in sperm motility and morphology as well as in serum gonadotrophin concentrations were noted, no specific seminal or hormonal variable could be identified as being of value in predicting the fertility of an individual man.