The purpose of this study was to find out whether the seminal testosterone and/or estradiol levels could serve as prognostic criteria for normal spermatogenesis and whether they are able to characterize the sperm pathology. The study involved healthy young male volunteers (n=269); serum and seminal steroid hormones were measured; the sperm concentration, mobility, and morphology were evaluated. The results indicate that the seminal testosterone concentration is lower (p<0.05) and the seminal estradiol is higher than the corresponding parameters in the serum (p<0.05). The seminal testosterone and estradiol concentrations negatively correlated with the sperm concentration, and the seminal estradiol concentration was higher in pathozoospermic than in normospermic men (p<0.05). It is assumed that the seminal estradiol level can be an indicator of sperm quality and serve as a biological predictor of normal spermatogenesis; in addition, this parameter can be used for diagnostic purposes in patients with impaired spermatogenesis induced by excess of estrogens.
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Translated from Byulleten’ Eksperimental’noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 174, No. 9, pp. 301-305, September, 2022
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Osadchuk, L.V., Kleshchev, M.A. & Osadchuk, A.V. Steroid Hormones in Seminal Plasma: the Relationship with Sperm Quality. Bull Exp Biol Med 174, 318–321 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-023-05699-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10517-023-05699-0