Soluble Fas and gonadal hormones in infertile men with varicocele

Objective: To assess gonadal hormones in serum and semen as well as seminal antiapoptotic factor; soluble fibroblast associated (sFas) in infertile men associated with scrotal varicocele. Design: Prospective. Setting: Academic setting. Patients: Eighty-eight males: fertile healthy controls (Gr1, n = 12), fertile normozoospermia with varicocele (Gr2, n = 31), and infertile oligoasthenozoospermia with varicocele (Gr3, n = 45). Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum and seminal gonadal hormones: follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), and testosterone (T), in addition to seminal sFas. Results: There were significant higher mean levels of serum FSH, serum, and seminal LH with significant lower seminal T levels in cases of Gr3 compared with Gr2. Mean seminal sFas in Gr3 were significantly higher than its levels in Gr1 and 2 (mean ± SE 8.34 ± 0.36 vs. 6.8 ± 0.53 and 6.06 ± 0.39 ng/mL, respectively). Nonsignificant differences between serum and seminal gonadal hormones were elicited between Gr2 and controls. Seminal sFas in various varicocele grades demonstrated nonsignificant differences. There were significant positive correlations between seminal sFas with serum FSH, serum LH, semen FSH, sperm abnormal forms percentage, and significant negative correlations with sperm concentration and sperm motility. Conclusion(s): sFas could play a role in germ cell apoptosis in varicocele-associated cases. © 2009 American Society for Reproductive Medicine.