Effect of seminal plasma calcitonin levels on sperm mobility

This study investigated the effect of the seminal and blood plasma calcitonin levels on the sperm motility in idiopathic infertile patients. The number of sperm cells and their motility were evaluated in the spermiograms of 52 idiopathic infertile patients. The levels of seminal plasma calcitonin were studied with double antibody technique using a DPC kit. Fifty-two patients were divided into 2 groups according to the motility rates of sperm and 20 healthy volunteers were assigned to a control group. The difference between the groups was evaluated by using Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests, and the correlation of seminal and blood calcitonin levels with sperm motility were determined. The difference in motility rates between the 3 groups was statistically significant (p = .000, p < .05). Blood plasma calcitonin levels were in normal ranges in all cases and no significant difference was found among the 3 groups (chi2 = 2.7219, p = .2589, p > .05). While sperm motility was correlated with seminal calcitonin levels (r = .8581), blood calcitonin levels did not show a correlation with sperm motility rate (r = -.0265). Moreover, there was no correlation between seminal and blood plasma levels of calcitonin (r = -.0010). Motility rates decreased in the patients with low seminal calcitonin levels and seminal calcitonin levels had a significant effect on sperm motility.