| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Department of Growth and Reproduction (A.-M.A., J.H.P., N.J., T.K.J., N.E.S.), Copenhagen University Hospital, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Biostatistics (J.H.P.) University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Environmental Medicine (T.K.J.), University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Anna-Maria Andersson, M.Sci., Ph.D., Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Section GR 5064, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen OE, Denmark. E-mail: anna{at}rh.dk.
Inhibin B and FSH levels in 289 idiopathic infertile men were compared with reference materials consisting of 303 proven fertile men (reference group 1) and 307 healthy men from the general population with unknown fertility status (reference group 2). The diagnostic power of these two serum markers of spermatogenesis was evaluated by the use of receiver operating characteristic plot analysis, and an example of how both markers can be used simultaneously in a bivariate reference chart is presented.
Inhibin B levels were significantly lower and FSH levels were significantly higher in the infertile men, compared with either reference group, but with significant overlap, especially with reference group 2. Nevertheless, approximately 50% of the infertile men had an inhibin B or FSH, respectively, below the 2.5 percentile or above the 97.5 percentile of reference group 1, whereas only approximately 25% of the infertile men had an inhibin B or FSH, respectively, below the 2.5 percentile or above the 97.5 percentile of reference group 2. Fourteen and 11% of reference group 2 had an inhibin B or FSH, respectively, below the 2.5 percentile or above the 97.5 percentile of reference group 1, suggesting that a significant number of individuals from the general population with unknown fertility but otherwise healthy may actually be subfertile.
In conclusion, 1) proven fertile men constitute the most appropriate reference group in the evaluation of the FSH-inhibin B axis; the sensitivity of these markers to identify infertility increased by approximately 20% when fertile men rather than men from the general population were used as control group; 2) FSH alone had a slightly higher positive predictive value than inhibin B alone, but the positive predictive value were highest when both markers of spermatogenesis were used in an inhibin B/FSH ratio; and 3) a bivariate reference chart is a valuable objective tool in the simultaneous evaluation of FSH and inhibin B as two interrelated markers.
This work was supported by the European Commission under the 5th framework program (Environmental Reproductive Health, Contract QLK4-1999-01422) and the Danish Medical Research Council.
Abbreviations: BMI, Body mass index; ROC, receiver operating characteristic.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  A.A. MacDonald, G.P. Herbison, M. Showell, and C.M. Farquhar The impact of body mass index on semen parameters and reproductive hormones in human males: a systematic review with meta-analysis Hum. Reprod. Update, November 4, 2009; (2009) dmp047v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Reisch, L. Flade, M. Scherr, M. Rottenkolber, F. Pedrosa Gil, M. Bidlingmaier, H. Wolff, H.-P. Schwarz, M. Quinkler, F. Beuschlein, et al. High Prevalence of Reduced Fecundity in Men with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., May 1, 2009; 94(5): 1665 - 1670. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Aksglaede, R. B. Jensen, E. Carlsen, P. Kok, D. M Keenan, J. Veldhuis, N. E Skakkebaek, and A. Juul Increased basal and pulsatile secretion of FSH and LH in young men with 47,XXY or 46,XX karyotypes. Eur. J. Endocrinol., June 1, 2008; 158(6): 803 - 810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Sieniawski, T. Reineke, L. Nogova, A. Josting, B. Pfistner, V. Diehl, and A. Engert Fertility in male patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma treated with BEACOPP: a report of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) Blood, January 1, 2008; 111(1): 71 - 76. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Martinez-Aguayo, A. Rocha, N. Rojas, C. Garcia, R. Parra, M. Lagos, L. Valdivia, H. Poggi, A. Cattani, and the Chilean Collaborative Testicular Adrenal Rest Testicular Adrenal Rest Tumors and Leydig and Sertoli Cell Function in Boys with Classical Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2007; 92(12): 4583 - 4589. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. Dhooge, N. Van Larebeke, F. Comhaire, and J.-M. Kaufman Reproductive Parameters of Community-Dwelling Men From 2 Regions in Flanders Are Associated With the Consumption of Self-Grown Vegetables J Androl, November 1, 2007; 28(6): 836 - 846. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Aksglaede, J. H Petersen, K. M Main, N. E Skakkebaek, and A. Juul High normal testosterone levels in infants with non-mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome Eur. J. Endocrinol., September 1, 2007; 157(3): 345 - 350. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Juul, L. Aksglaede, A.M. Lund, M. Duno, N.E. Skakkebaek, and E. Rajpert-De Meyts Preserved fertility in a non-mosaic Klinefelter patient with a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene: Case Report Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2007; 22(7): 1907 - 1911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. Dhooge, N. Van Larebeke, F. Comhaire, and J.-M. Kaufman Regional Variations in Semen Quality of Community-Dwelling Young Men From Flanders Are Not Paralleled by Hormonal Indices of Testicular Function J Androl, May 1, 2007; 28(3): 435 - 443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Rochira, L. Zirilli, A. D Genazzani, A. Balestrieri, C. Aranda, B. Fabre, P. Antunez, C. Diazzi, C. Carani, and L. Maffei Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in two men with aromatase deficiency: evidence that circulating estrogens are required at the hypothalamic level for the integrity of gonadotropin negative feedback. Eur. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2006; 155(4): 513 - 522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. J. Winters, C. Wang, E. Abdelrahaman, V. Hadeed, M. A. Dyky, and A. Brufsky Inhibin-B Levels in Healthy Young Adult Men and Prepubertal Boys: Is Obesity the Cause for the Contemporary Decline in Sperm Count Because of Fewer Sertoli Cells? J Androl, July 1, 2006; 27(4): 560 - 564. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Sikaris, R. I. McLachlan, R. Kazlauskas, D. de Kretser, C. A. Holden, and D. J. Handelsman Reproductive Hormone Reference Intervals for Healthy Fertile Young Men: Evaluation of Automated Platform Assays J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2005; 90(11): 5928 - 5936. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L.M. Mabeck, M.S. Jensen, G. Toft, M. Thulstrup, M. Andersson, T.K. Jensen, A. Giwercman, J. Olsen, J.P. Bonde, and and The Danish First Pregnancy Planners Study Team Fecundability according to male serum inhibin B--a prospective study among first pregnancy planners Hum. Reprod., October 1, 2005; 20(10): 2909 - 2915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Fujita, A. Tsujimura, T. Takao, Y. Miyagawa, K. Matsumiya, M. Koga, M. Takeyama, H. Fujioka, K. Aozasa, and A. Okuyama Expression of inhibin {alpha}, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and stem cell factor in Sertoli cell-only syndrome: relation to successful sperm retrieval by microdissection testicular sperm extraction Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2005; 20(8): 2289 - 2294. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |
