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Serum Testosterone Levels in 3-Month-Old Boys Predict Their Semen Quality as Young Adults

Louise Scheutz Henriksen1,2, Jørgen Holm Petersen1,2,3, Niels E Skakkebæk1,2,4

  • 1Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
|March 24, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Infant testosterone levels predict adult sperm count. Early reproductive markers in boys establish a lifelong pattern for reproductive health, highlighting the importance of minipuberty research.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Endocrinology
  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Human Reproduction

Background:

  • The relationship between early infant hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, known as minipuberty, and adult male reproductive function remains unclear.
  • Understanding this connection is crucial for assessing long-term reproductive health in males.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between reproductive function markers in 3-month-old boys and their adult reproductive health parameters.
  • To determine if early-life hormonal and physical measures predict later semen quality.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based birth cohort study followed 259 boys from infancy (3 months) to young adulthood (18-20 years).
  • Measurements included reproductive hormones, penile length, testis volume, and semen quality.
  • Linear regression and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to analyze associations.

Main Results:

  • Infant serum testosterone concentration positively predicted adult total sperm count.
  • Higher infant testosterone tertiles correlated with increased median adult total sperm counts.
  • Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) showed the highest correlation (ICC=0.41) between infancy and adulthood; other markers had moderate to low correlations.

Conclusions:

  • Serum testosterone in infancy is a significant predictor of adult total sperm count.
  • Reproductive hormones and genital measures exhibit good correlation from infancy to adulthood.
  • These findings suggest that an individual's reproductive setpoint is established early in life for boys.
Abstract

Keywords:
hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axismale reproductive healthminipubertysemen quality

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