Seminal transferrin in the seminal quality evaluation of hemodialytic patients

to verify the association between seminal quality and seminal transferrin (ST) level and fertility index in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis (CH).

This is a cross-sectional study in a group of 60 men (case) undergoing CH for more than 6 months, and a group of 30 healthy men (control), aged 18-60 years, without clinical or laboratory signs of infection/inflammation. Spermiogram was performed, fertility index (FI) was calculated and ST and sex hormones (SH) levels were measured, including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, total testosterone, and prolactin.

All individuals were eugonadal. No differences for age (49.47 ± 5.56, 47.90 ± 6.2, p = 0.22) were observed between cases and controls, whereas there were significant differences between the individuals in the case and control groups with respect to the mean FI (p = 0.000), seminal parameters (SP) (p = 0.000), and ST levels (40.12 ± 08.25 vs 73.32 ± 06.8, p = 0.000). ST levels were correlated with FI (r = 0.787, p = 0.00) and SP (motility: r = 0.857, p = 0.000; vitality: r = 0.551, p = 0.000; density: r = 0.850, p = 0.000; normal morphology: r = 0.386, p = 0.000). Linear regression model showed relationship of ST levels with total sperm motility (R2 = 0.701; p = 0.000) and and FI (R2 = 0.569; p = 0.000).

Our results suggest that seminal quality is associated with ST levels and FI and that it can be used the initial investigation of subfertility/infertility of patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis..