FSH in the treatment of oligozoospermia

The aim of this study was to individuate parameters able to distinguish oli gozoospermic subjects who will respond to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH ) therapy. A group of 135 oligozoospermic subjects was divided in three gro ups considering basal FSH and inhibin B concentrations: group A (normal FSH and inhibin B) characterized by moderate hypospermatogenesis sometimes ass ociated to partial spermatidic arrest; group B (high FSH and normal inhibin B) characterized by hypospermatogenesis associated or not to spermatogonia l/spermatocytic arrest; group C (high FSH and low inhibin B) characterized by severe hypospermatogenesis. Seventy-eight patients were treated with FSH at the dose of 75 IU on alternate days while 57 were treated with the same dose every day for 3 months. After FSH treatment a significant increase in ejaculated sperm concentration was observed only in oligozoospermic subjec ts with normal basal FSH and inhibin B plasma levels (group A) showing a te sticular cytological picture of moderate hypospermatogenesis. In these subj ects no differences in sperm production were observed between the two proto cols of therapy. In the remaining patients of group A, characterized by hyp ospermatogenesis associated with maturation arrest at spermatidic level and in group B and C, no increase in sperm concentration was observed after th erapy. These data suggest that FSH treatment may have a role in oligozoospe rmic subjects only when the spermatogenetic alterations consist in germ cel l depopulation without maturative disturbances and with normal FSH concentr ations. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights rese rved.