• PMID: 3116028
• Gene Name: FSH
• Condition: Idiopathic azoospermia, oligospermia
• Association: Associated
• Population size: 94
• Population details: 94 (20 fertile men, 74 men with idiopathic azoospermia or oligospermia)
• Sex: Male
• Infertility type: Male infertility
• Associated genes: FSH
• Other associated phenotypes: Idiopathic azoospermia, oligospermia

Serum bioactive follicle-stimulating hormone in men with idiopathic azoospermia and oligospermia

Wang C, Dahl KD, Leung A, Chan SY, Hsueh AJ.

Using an in vitro granulosa cell aromatase bioassay (GAB), serum bioactive FSH (bio-FSH) levels were measured in 20 fertile men and 74 men with idiopathic azoospermia or oligospermia. The serum bio-FSH levels measured by the GAB assay and the immunoreactive FSH (immuno-FSH) levels measured by RIA were positively correlated (r = 0.93). Compared to normal men, serum bio-FSH and immuno-FSH levels were elevated in patients with idiopathic azoospermia associated with severe germinal epithelium damage; the bioactive to immunoreactive ratio (B:I ratio) of FSH in these men [mean, 1.5 +/- 0.5 (+/- SD)] was significantly lower than that in fertile men (2.7 +/- 0.8). Similarly, in men with moderate and severe oligospermia, the B:I ratios of FSH were decreased (1.4 +/- 0.4 and 1.7 +/- 0.3, respectively). Although serum immuno-FSH levels correlated weakly with mean sperm concentrations in the normal and oligospermic men (r = -0.35), no relationship was found between serum bio-FSH and sperm concentrations. The B:I ratio of FSH correlated weakly with sperm concentration (r = 0.46). These findings suggest that the B:I ratio of FSH measured by the GAB assay decreases in patients with low sperm concentrations and germinal cell failure. FAU - Wang, C AU - Wang C AD - Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital. FAU - Dahl, K D AU - Dahl KD FAU - Leung, A AU - Leung A FAU - Chan, S Y AU - Chan SY