Clinico-hormonal correlation of oligospermic patients in the below sea level environment (Jordan Valley)

A correlation between serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), total testosterone (T), free T and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in normospermic and in oligospermic male people was done. This study was designed to measure serum levels of these hormones and of SHBG in people living at different altitude environments relative to sea level: at 209-408 meters below (the Jordan Valley, JV) and at 620 meters above (Irbid city, IC). In addition, a clinical awareness study of oligospermia was done in the North of Jordan (IC). Seminal analysis in 287 male people (age range, 18 to 40 years old) during the period between 12/6/1999 and 12/2/2002 showed an oligospermia of 31.4%. Serum levels of LH, total T, free T and SHBG in normospermic subjects in IC were similar to those in normospermic of the JV (3.4 +/- 1.2 vs. 4.0 +/- 1.7 MIU/ml, 19.9 +/- 4.0 vs. 20.4 +/- 5.6 ng/ml, 53.9 +/- 15.6 vs. 47.9 +/- 10.7 pg/ml, 19.5 +/- 3.2 vs. 18.6 +/- 2.16 nmol/l, respectively). Oligospermia was associated with increase in total T at both IC (27.5 +/- 4.6 vs. 19.9 +/- 4.0 ng/ml) and the JV (30.7 +/- 3.4 vs. 20.5 +/- 5.6). The higher serum level of total T in oligospermic people in both IC and the JV was associated with higher levels of SHBG compared to those levels in normospermic subjects. On the other hand, oligospermic subjects have lower serum level of free T than in normospermic males (41.5 +/- 10.0 vs. 53.9 +/- 15.6) only in IC, while in the JV, serum free T level was similar (46.5 +/- 6.1 vs. 47.9 +/- 10.7). Taken together data for both locations, IC and the JV, suggest a clear correlation between total T and SHBG levels in both groups' normospermic and oligospermic subjects.