A comparison of endocrine function and semen analysis in fertile and subfertile men

We studied 122 normozoospermic, 62 oligozoospermic and 22 azoospermic patients and compared serum testosterone, LH and FSH with semen analysis. Testosterone was similar in all three groups studied. FSH rose significantly in the oligozoospermic and azoospermic groups (p less than 0.01). LH was similar in the normozoospermic and oligozoospermic groups but rose significantly in the azoospermic group (p less than 0,01). The rise in FSH is in accordance with the theory of inhibin release during the maturation states of spermatogenesis. The rise in LH might indicate a separate feedback mechanism mediated by the early stages of spermatogenesis and not by testosterone alone.