[Impact of varicocele on semen quality and inhibin B concentration in serum and seminal plasma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of varicocele (VC) on semen parameters and the concentration of inhibin B in the serum and seminal plasma of VC men.
METHODS: We collected semen and peripheral blood samples from 95 infertile VC patients and 55 normal fertile men. We performed semen routine examination by computer-assisted semen analysis and sperm morphology examination by modified Papanicolaou staining, and measured the levels of inhibin B in the peripheral blood and seminal plasma of the subjects by ELISA.
RESULTS: Compared with the normal fertile controls, the infertile men with grade-I, -II and -III VC showed significantly lower percentages of morphologically normal sperm ([7.5 +/- 5.2]% vs [6.3 +/- 6.5]%, [2.6 +/- 3.0]% and [1.0 +/- 0.7]%, P < 0.05) and progressively motile sperm ([43.9 +/- 22.7]% vs [33.3 +/- 20.8]%, [28.9 +/- 19.8]% and [13.5 +/- 8.4]%, P < 0.05). The majority of the morphologically abnormal sperm were of the type of head deformity. The concentrations of inhibin B in the peripheral blood and seminal plasma were evidently lower in the infertile men with grade-I VC ([160.9 +/- 48.9] pg/ml and [208.3 +/- 28.1] pg/ml), grade-II VC ([150.6 +/- 44.7] pg/ml and [201.5 +/- 83.5] pg/ml), and grade-III VC ([132.6 +/- 41.5] pg/ml and [150.2 +/- 51.6] pg/ml) in comparison with those of the fertile control group ([201.0 +/- 38.1] pg/ml and [225.3 +/- 82.5] pg/ml).
CONCLUSION: Varicocele reduces sperm motility, increases sperm abnormality, decreases the concentration of inhibin B in the serum and seminal plasma, and consequently damages male fertility.