Urinary follicle stimulating hormone can be used as a biomarker to assess male reproductive function

Aim: To develop an algorithm for use in population-based studies to assess testicular function by measurements of totalurinary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). Methods: Total concentrations of urinary FSH were measured in a groupof 44 men at the University of California, Davis (UCD) and were compared to FSH measurements in serum. On thebasis of these and other published data, a urinary FSH value of >2 ng/mg creatinine (Cr) was selected as the cutoffpoint to identify men with elevated serum FSH ( > 12 IU/L) or low sperm counts ( < 20 million/mL). Results: Thesensitivity and specificity of this algorithm for detecting elevated serum FSH in a group of 58 agricultural workers in thePeople's Republic of China were 100 % and 50 %, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of this algorithm fordetecting low sperm counts in a population of 105 infertility patients at UCD were 58 % and 76 %, respectively.Conclusion: This test may have particular value in identifying populations with no evidence of testicular toxicity, andin which labor-intensive semen studies may not be feasible.

Cigarette Smoking is Associated with Decreased Sperm Density

Objectives To study the association between cigarette smoking and sperm density in men of reproductive age. Methods We enrolled 224 male employees of a modern petrochemical plant in Nanjing, China. These men had no prior history of infertility or other reproductive diseases. Epidemiologic data, including information on smoking and other occupational and lifestyle exposures were obtained by a questionnaire interview. Semen specimens were collected from each participant and analyzed according to the WHO guidelines. Regression analyses were performed to estimate the effect of smoking on sperm density. Results Approximately 67% of the subjects had ever smoked cigarettes. Different measurements of smoking behavior were each associated with decreased sperm density. There was a significant dose-response trend between the tertites of total smoking amount in pack-years and sperm density. As compared to men who never smoked, current smokers had a significant reduction in sperm density (-13.3×106/ml; 95% CI, - 24. 1, -2. 5) ,while ex-smokers had only a small decrement in sperm density ( -2. 6×106/ml; 95%CI, -18. 7,13. 5). Starting smoking at less than 20 years of age was associated with significant reduction in sperm density (- 14.8×106/ml; 95% CI, - 27. 4, -2. 2). Starting smoking at 20 years or older was associated with a slightly smaller decrease ( -10.1×106/ml; 95% CI,-21.7,1.4). Conclusions Cigarette smoking is associated with decreased sperm density, showing an evident dose-response trend in this population.