engleski

POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF ANTI-MULLERIAN HORMONE (AMH) IN MALE FERTILITY INVESTIGATION

BACKGROUND-AIM AMH is produced by Sertoli cells of the testes after stimulation by follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) and can be found in serum and seminal plasma samples. The aim of the study was to investigate potential application of AMH in male fertility assessment. METHODS This case-control study comprised of 45 male patients with a median age 33 (range 18-47 years) referred to laboratory fertility testing. They were divided into groups according to their sperm concentration: I) normal sperm concentration (N=32) ; II) reduced sperm concentration (< 15x106/mL) (N=13). Sperm concentration was performed within complete semen analysis and according to the current WHO criteria. AMH and FSH were measured in serum samples: AMH by chemiluminiscent immunoassay (CLIA) using UniCel DXI analyzer (Beckman Coulter Inc., Brea, USA) and FSH by chemiluminiscent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) using the ARHITECT i1000SR (Abbott Diagnostics, Lake Forest, USA) analyzer. Statistical analysis was performed using MedCalc for Windows, version 12.4.0.0. (MedCalc Software, Marikerke, Belgium). The Mann-Whitney test was performed for group comparisons. Spearman’s coefficient of rank correlation (rho) between analyzed parameters was calculated. P=0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS AMH concentrations were significantly higher in patients with normal sperm concentrations: median value 5.4 ng/mL (IQ 4.1-8.1) vs 3.9 ng/mL (IQ 1.6-6.1) ; P=0.047. Oppositely, FSH concentrations were significantly lower in the same group: median value 3.15 IU/L (IQ 2.2- 3.95) vs 7.6 IU/L (5.1-12.6) ; P<0.001. A weak positive correlation was observed between AMH and sperm concentration (rho=0.385) and a moderate negative correlation between AMH and FSH (rho=-0.603). CONCLUSIONS AMH can be a promise marker in male fertility assessment since it is correlated with spermatogenesis, but its reliability and utility in routine application have to be accurately defined through future studies.

ANTI-MULLERIAN HORMONE ; FERTILITY ; FSH

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