Open AccessSerum vitamin D content is associated with semen parameters and serum testosterone levels in men
Author(s) -
Inarí Marina Inti Ciccone,
Elaine Maria Frade Costa,
Juliana Risso Pariz,
Thiago Afonso Teixeira,
Joël R. Drevet,
Parviz Gharagozloo,
R. John Aitken,
Jaime Eduardo Cecílio Hallak
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
asian journal of andrology/asian journal of andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1745-7262
pISSN - 1008-682X
DOI - 10.4103/aja.aja_9_20
Subject(s) - semen quality , testosterone (patch) , medicine , luteinizing hormone , sex hormone binding globulin , endocrinology , semen , sperm , hormone , follicle stimulating hormone , semen analysis , biology , andrology , androgen , infertility , pregnancy , genetics
The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of serum vitamin D levels on semen quality and testosterone levels. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Androscience, Science and Innovation Center in Andrology and High-Complex Clinical and Andrology Laboratory in Sao Paulo, Brazil, with 508 male patients, aged 18-60 years, from 2007 to 2017. Seminal parameters and serum sexual hormones were correlated with serum vitamin D concentrations in 260 men selected by strict selection criteria. Patients were divided into normozoospermic group (NZG, n = 124) and a group with seminal abnormalities (SAG, n = 136). Evaluation included complete physical examination, past medical history, habits and lifestyle factors, two complete seminal analysis with sperm functional tests, serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D 3 (25(OH)VD 3 ), total and free testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), total cholesterol, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, and karyotype. The mean concentration of 25(OH)VD 3 was significantly lower in the SAG (P < 0.001) and positively correlated with all baseline seminal parameters and total testosterone levels. In addition, serum vitamin D 3 concentration was found to be positively correlated with sperm concentration (β= 2.103; P < 0.001), total number of spermatozoa with progressive motility (β = 2.069; P = 0.003), total number of motile spermatozoa (β = 2.571; P = 0.015), and strict morphology (β = 0.056; P = 0.006), regardless of other variables. This is the first comparative study to address the issue of serum vitamin D 3 content between normozoospermic patients and those with sperm abnormalities. It clearly demonstrates a direct and positive relationship between serum vitamin D level and overall semen quality, male reproductive potential, and testosterone levels.