• PMID: 14574812
• Gene Name: INHB
• Condition: Male infertility
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 82
• Population details: 82 (20 fertile, 20 oligospermia, 22 asthenospermia, 20 non-obstructive azoospermia(NOA))
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: INHB
• Other associated phenotypes: Male infertility

[Inhibin B levels of serum and seminal plasma in fertile and infertile males]

Hu YA, Huang YF, Xu JP, Zhu PY.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the possible differences in the inhibin B levels of seminal plasma and serum between fertile and infertile males and to obtain information on the relation between serum inhibin B or seminal plasma inhibin B and spermatogenesis. METHODS: Semen and blood samples were collected from fertile(n = 20), oligospermia(n = 20), asthenospermia(n = 22) and non-obstructive azoospermia(NOA) (n = 20) males at 8:00 am = 10:00 am. Semen parameters were analyzed. Levels of inhibin B in seminal plasma and serum, ACP, Fru, alpha-Glu in seminal plasma, serum levels of FSH, T, LH were determined. RESULTS: Both levels of serum inhibin B and levels of seminal plasma inhibin B correlated significantly negatively with serum FSH(r = -0.536, P < 0.001 vs r = -0.288, P = 0.01), and statistically positively with sperm concentration(r = 0.49, P < 0.001 vs r = 0.48, P < 0.001). There was positive correlation between levels of seminal plasma inhibin B and activity of alpha-Glu in seminal plasma (r = 0.377, P = 0.001). The difference in levels of seminal plasma inhibin B was found only between fertile males or asthenospermia and NOA (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). However, significant differences in levels of serum inhibin B were found not only between males with normal sperm concentration (including fertile males and asthenospermia) and NOA (P < 0.01), fertile males and oligospermia (P < 0.05), but also between oligospermia and NOA (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between serum inhibin B and seminal plasma inhibin B. CONCLUSIONS: Both levels of serum inhibin B and seminal plasma inhibin B could reflect testis spermatogenesis status. Levels of seminal plasma inhibin B could also reflect the function of seminiferous duct, but the wide range of values limited its applicability. FAU - Hu, Yu-An AU - Hu YA AD - Laboratory of Reproduction & Genetics, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Command, PLA, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210002, China. FAU - Huang, Yu-Feng AU - Huang YF FAU - Xu, Jian-Ping AU - Xu JP