Francesco Lotti1, Francesca Frizza1, Giancarlo Balercia2, Arcangelo Barbonetti3, Hermann M Behre4, Aldo E Calogero5, Jann-Frederik Cremers6, Felice Francavilla3, Andrea M Isidori7, Sabine Kliesch6, Sandro La Vignera5, Andrea Lenzi7, Marios Marcou4, Adrian Pilatz8, Olev Poolamets9, Margus Punab9, Maria Fernanda Peraza Godoy10, Osvaldo Rajmil10, Gianmaria Salvio2, Osama Shaeer11, Wolfgang Weidner8, Elisa Maseroli1, Sarah Cipriani1, Elisabetta Baldi1, Selene Degl'Innocenti1, Giovanna Danza12, Anna Lucia Caldini13, Alessandro Terreni13, Luca Boni14, Csilla Krausz1, Mario Maggi12. 1. Andrology, Female Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 2. Endocrinology Unit, Ospedali Riuniti Ancona, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy. 3. Andrology Unit, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. 4. Center for Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany. 5. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Italy. 6. Department of Clinical and Surgical Andrology, Centre of Reproductive Medicine and Andrology, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany. 7. Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. 8. Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany. 9. Andrology Unit, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia. 10. Andrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain. 11. Department of Andrology, Kasr El Aini Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. 12. Endocrinology Unit, Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 13. Department of Laboratory, Careggi Hospital, Florence, Italy. 14. Clinical Trials Coordinating Center, Toscano Cancer Institute, University Hospital Careggi, Florence, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Infertility affects 7%-12% of men, and its etiology is unknown in half of cases. To fill this gap, use of the male genital tract color-Doppler ultrasound (MGT-CDUS) has progressively expanded. However, MGT-CDUS still suffers from lack of standardization. Hence, the European Academy of Andrology (EAA) has promoted a multicenter study ("EAA ultrasound study") to assess MGT-CDUS characteristics of healthy, fertile men to obtain normative parameters. OBJECTIVES: To report (a) the development and methodology of the "EAA ultrasound study," (b) the clinical characteristics of the cohort of healthy, fertile men, and (c) the correlations of both fertility history and seminal features with clinical parameters. METHODS: A cohort of 248 healthy, fertile men (35.3 ± 5.9 years) was studied. All subjects were asked to undergo, within the same day, clinical, biochemical, and seminal evaluation and MGT-CDUS before and after ejaculation. RESULTS: The clinical, seminal, and biochemical characteristics of the cohort have been reported here. The seminal characteristics were consistent with those reported by the WHO (2010) for the 50th and 5th centiles for fertile men. Normozoospermia was observed in 79.6% of men, while normal sperm vitality was present in almost the entire sample. Time to pregnancy (TTP) was 3.0[1.0-6.0] months. TTP was negatively correlated with sperm vitality (Adj.r =-.310, P = .011), but not with other seminal, clinical, or biochemical parameters. Sperm vitality and normal morphology were positively associated with fT3 and fT4 levels, respectively (Adj.r = .244, P < .05 and Adj.r = .232, P = .002). Sperm concentration and total count were negatively associated with FSH levels and positively, along with progressive motility, with mean testis volume (TV). Mean TV was 20.4 ± 4.0 mL, and the lower reference values for right and left testes were 15.0 and 14.0 mL. Mean TV was negatively associated with gonadotropin levels and pulse pressure. Varicocoele was found in 33% of men. CONCLUSIONS: The cohort studied confirms the WHO data for all semen parameters and represents a reference with which to assess MGT-CDUS normative parameters.
BACKGROUND:Infertility affects 7%-12% of men, and its etiology is unknown in half of cases. To fill this gap, use of the male genital tract color-Doppler ultrasound (MGT-CDUS) has progressively expanded. However, MGT-CDUS still suffers from lack of standardization. Hence, the European Academy of Andrology (EAA) has promoted a multicenter study ("EAA ultrasound study") to assess MGT-CDUS characteristics of healthy, fertile men to obtain normative parameters. OBJECTIVES: To report (a) the development and methodology of the "EAA ultrasound study," (b) the clinical characteristics of the cohort of healthy, fertile men, and (c) the correlations of both fertility history and seminal features with clinical parameters. METHODS: A cohort of 248 healthy, fertile men (35.3 ± 5.9 years) was studied. All subjects were asked to undergo, within the same day, clinical, biochemical, and seminal evaluation and MGT-CDUS before and after ejaculation. RESULTS: The clinical, seminal, and biochemical characteristics of the cohort have been reported here. The seminal characteristics were consistent with those reported by the WHO (2010) for the 50th and 5th centiles for fertile men. Normozoospermia was observed in 79.6% of men, while normal sperm vitality was present in almost the entire sample. Time to pregnancy (TTP) was 3.0[1.0-6.0] months. TTP was negatively correlated with sperm vitality (Adj.r =-.310, P = .011), but not with other seminal, clinical, or biochemical parameters. Sperm vitality and normal morphology were positively associated with fT3 and fT4 levels, respectively (Adj.r = .244, P < .05 and Adj.r = .232, P = .002). Sperm concentration and total count were negatively associated with FSH levels and positively, along with progressive motility, with mean testis volume (TV). Mean TV was 20.4 ± 4.0 mL, and the lower reference values for right and left testes were 15.0 and 14.0 mL. Mean TV was negatively associated with gonadotropin levels and pulse pressure. Varicocoele was found in 33% of men. CONCLUSIONS: The cohort studied confirms the WHO data for all semen parameters and represents a reference with which to assess MGT-CDUS normative parameters.
Keywords:
and metabolic parameters; clinical; fertile men; healthy; hormonal; male genital tract ultrasound; seminal parameters; sperm vitality; time to pregnancy
Authors: Francesco Lotti; Francesca Frizza; Giancarlo Balercia; Arcangelo Barbonetti; Hermann M Behre; Aldo E Calogero; Jann-Frederik Cremers; Felice Francavilla; Andrea M Isidori; Sabine Kliesch; Sandro La Vignera; Andrea Lenzi; Marios Marcou; Adrian Pilatz; Olev Poolamets; Margus Punab; Maria Fernanda Peraza Godoy; Claudia Quintian; Osvaldo Rajmil; Gianmaria Salvio; Osama Shaeer; Wolfgang Weidner; Elisa Maseroli; Sarah Cipriani; Elisabetta Baldi; Selene Degl'Innocenti; Giovanna Danza; Anna Lucia Caldini; Alessandro Terreni; Luca Boni; Csilla Krausz; Mario Maggi Journal: Andrology Date: 2022-07-19 Impact factor: 4.456
Authors: Andrea Garolla; Giuseppe Grande; Pierfrancesco Palego; Andrea Canossa; Nicola Caretta; Andrea Di Nisio; Giovanni Corona; Carlo Foresta Journal: Andrology Date: 2021-06-18 Impact factor: 3.842