ENDOCRINE PROFILES AND SEMEN QUALITY OF SPINAL-CORD INJURED MEN

We characterized endocrine profiles and semen quality in spinal cord i njury subjects using noninjured normal and infertile subjects as contr ols. Compared to normal controls, spinal cord injury subjects had lowe r serum levels of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone . Subjects with spinal cord injuries between the T8 and T10 levels had a higher incidence of hormone outliers compared to subjects with inju ries at other levels. Sperm motility and per cent normal sperm morphol ogy were lower in spinal cord injury subjects compared to normal contr ols but not to infertile control subjects. Spinal cord injury subjects with elevated follicle-stimulating hormone levels were azoospermic. W e conclude that endocrine abnormalities are likely to accompany spinal cord injury but may not be the sole mechanism contributing to impairm ents in semen quality.