Infertility Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Infertility, including details on male and female infertility, treatment, causes, pregnancy.

Serum leptin correlates in infertile oligozoospermic males.

Hanafy S, Halawa FA, Mostafa T, Mikhael NW, Khalil KT

Dermatology & Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Benha, Egypt.

Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted protein that participates in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Eighty men were investigated; fertile normozoospermia as a control (n = 30) and infertile oligozoospermia (n = 50). The patients underwent estimation of body weight (kg), height (cm), calculation of body mass index (BMI), semen analysis, serum leptin and testosterone hormones. Mean body weight was significantly higher in infertile oligozoospermia compared with controls. Mean height, BMI and serum testosterone levels showed nonsignificant differences between the two groups. Infertile oligozoospermia had significantly higher mean serum leptin level than controls (mean +/- SD; 6.88 +/- 8.65, 16.3 +/- 13.98 ng ml(-1), P < 0.01). Serum leptin demonstrated significant positive correlation with age, body weight, BMI and significant inverse correlation with serum testosterone. It had nonsignificant correlation with the height and sperm concentration. These results are suggestive of a link between the adipocyte derived hormone, leptin and male reproduction.

Published 23 August 2007 in Andrologia, 39(5): 177-80.
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