Relationship between serum follicle stimulating hormone in the male and standard sperm parameters, and the results of intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is routinely measured whenevaluating the infertile male for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).However, among the sperm parameters, only its relationship with spermconcentration is well documented. Few investigations concern therelationship between FSH and sperm motility and morphology, and the resultsof ICSI. A retrospective study of 316 couples who underwent ICSI wascarried out to determine the relationships between serum FSH concentrationsin the male and (i) standard sperm parameters_(concentration, motility andmorphology) and (ii) fertilization, cleavage, pregnancy and implantationrates after ICSI. There was an inverse correlation with sperm concentrationand total motility but no relationship was found with progressive motilityand sperm morphology. Neither was any relationship found between serum FSHand fertilization, cleavage, pregnancy and implantation rates, and theresults of ICSI. These findings suggest the need to review the routinemeasurement of serum FSH in the infertile male when ICSI is the plannedtreatment procedure.