S. Koloszár

IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CELL PHONE USE AND SEMEN QUALITY

This study was conducted to determine a possible relationship between regular cell phone use and different human semen attributes. The history-taking of men in our university clinic was supplemented with questions concerning cell phone use habits, including possession, daily standby position and daily transmission times. Semen analyses were performed by conventional methods. Statistics were calculated with SPSS statistical software. A total of 371 were included in the study. The duration of possession and the daily transmission time correlated negatively with the proportion of rapid progressive motile sperm (r = − 0.12 and r = − 0.19, respectively), and positively with the proportion of slow progressive motile sperm (r = 0.12 and r = 0.28, respectively). The low and high transmitter groups also differed in the proportion of rapid progressive motile sperm (48.7% vs. 40.6%). The prolonged use of cell phones may have negative effects on the sperm motility characteristics.

Is semen quality affected by male body fat distribution

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of semen parameters, sexual function‐related hormones and waist/hip ratio. Eighty‐one selected patients presenting with infertility were examined. Weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference were measured, and reproduction‐related hormone levels were determined. Semen was analysed by conventional methods. Semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, total sperm count, total motile sperm cell number, rapid progressive motile sperm count and reproduction‐related hormone levels [follicle‐stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone, 17β‐oestradiol and sexual hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG)]. Significant correlations were found: (i) weight, waist circumference and hip circumference versus testosterone level, SHBG level, and testosterone/17β‐oestradiol ratio; (ii) hip circumference versus sperm concentration; (iii) waist circumference and hip circumference versus sperm count, total motile sperm cell number and rapid progressive motile sperm count; (iv) weight versus total sperm count and total motile sperm cell number; (v) waist circumference and hip circumference versus prolactin level (positively) and SHBG (negatively); (vi) waist circumference and waist/hip ratio versus semen volume. It can be concluded that the waist/hip ratio is correlated with the reproductive hormone levels. Although both the waist circumference and hip circumference correlated with the semen characteristics, the waist/hip ratio did not.

EFFECT OF BODY WEIGHT ON TESTOSTERONE/ESTRADIOL RATIO IN OLIGOZOOSPERMIC PATIENTS

To evaluate the effect of body mass on the hormonal and semen profiles of subfertile men with oligozoospemia, sperm concentration and reproductive hormone levels were compared in two body mass index (BMI) groups: underweight or normal weight patients (BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2) vs. overweight or obese patients (BMI > 25 kg/m2). The mean BMI was 27 ± 4.6 kg/m2. The testosterone/estradiol ratio was significantly reduced in the high BMI group as compared to the low BMI group (17 ± 4 vs. 12 ± 3; p < 0.05). A similar difference was found in the sperm concentration (11.2 ± 3.16 × 106/ml vs. 8.1 ± 2.6 × 106/ml). A nonsignificant difference was found in the LH/FSH ratio (1.41 ± 0.64 vs. 1.63 ± 0.72). We concluded that obesity and the consequent estrogen excess decrease the sperm concentration by influencing the hypothalamo-pituitary system.

Effect of body weight on sperm concentration in normozoospermic males

A total of 274 men (aged: 26 ± 4.9 years) with normozoospermia were enrolled into this study. Their body mass index (BMI: kg/m2) varied between 17 and 39. According to BMI, the patients were divided into four groups: Group 1: 17–20, Group 2: 20.1–25, Group 3: 25.1–30 and Group 4: 30.1–39. Twenty-nine subjects were found in the first, 96 in the second, 91 in the third and 58 men in the fourth group. Sperm concentration was significantly lower in the obese group (29 × 106/ml, p < 0.05) than in the group of BMI 17–20, 20–25 and 25–30. In advance, in the obese group, sperm count continuously decreased with aging. We conclude that obesity is associated with a lower sperm count in case of normozoospermia.

Effect of Female Body Weight on Efficiency of Donor AI

A total of 1144 infertile women were treated by artificial donor insemination. Unsuccessful ovulation induction was found in 96 of these cases. The obese women (BMI: 28-36) had a relative risk of unsuccessful ovulation induction of 2.7 (95% confidence interval (CI)=2.1-3.4) compared with women lower or normal body weight (BMI: 20-24). The effect was smaller in women with a BMI 25-27 or <19 (relative risk (RR)=1.4, 95% CI=0.9-2.1 and 1.5, 95% CI=0.8-2.5), respectively. During the AID treatment 412 pregnancies occurred. Pregnancy rate achieved by insemination was 28% (50 pregnancies per 178 cases, BMI 16-19), 42% (251/599, BMI 20-24), 33% (92/286, BMI 25-27), and 21% (19/81, BMI 28-36), respectively, in the different BMI groups.

A boy or a girl? A Hungarian survey regarding gender selection

Background. Infertile Hungarian couples were surveyed with regard to their opinion of preconception gender selection by the separation of X‐ and Y‐bearing sperm populations. Methods. Self‐completion of a questionnaire. Group 1: subjects presenting for infertility examination; Group 2: presenting for homologous intrauterine insemination. Results. As concerns the gender of the firstborn, 13.8% of those in Group 1 preferred a boy and 10.3% a girl, while 75.9% had no preference. The male preference was higher in Group 2: 33.3% preferred a boy and 7.4% a girl while 59.3% had no preference (χ2, p<0.05). In the event of a wish for more offspring, 91% in Group 1 and 94% in Group 2 did not have a wish for only one particular gender. In Group 2, 30.8% were willing to pay the extra costs for a gender selection procedure as compared with only 10.8% of the couples in Group 1 (χ2, p<0.05). If the National Health Fund fully covered the costs, 53.4% in Group 1 and 38.5% in Group 2 would request the procedure for nonmedical reasons, while 94.6% and 97.4% of them, respectively would so for medical reasons. Conclusions. Our findings revealed a trend to preference for firstborn males, although couples wishing more than one offspring prefer equal numbers of male and female children. The utilization of preconception gender selection, therefore, would not seem to appreciably affect the natural male/female ratio. Genetic indications exert significant effects on the decision regarding sex selection procedures.

Hypothesis: Safety of Using Mobile Phones on Male Fertility

I. Fejes, Z. Z avaczki, S. Kolosz ar, J. Szöll} osi, J. Daru, L. Kov acs, and A. P al Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary A recent review paper from Derias et al. [3] described the growing concern over the safety of using mobile phones. Our own results lend support to their conclusions as we have observed relationships between the duration of possession of a cell phone and the spermatozoa motility characteristics and also between the duration of daily transmission and the spermatozoa motility characteristics [5]. Although rats are frequently used as laboratory animals for various studies, the results must be interpreted with caution, as the different species have different sensitivities to environmental effects and rats are famous for their ability to adapt. Conclusions may also be drawn of the harmful effects on fertility from studies on different human tissues. There have been publications concerning effects on the central nervous system, such as alterations in the electroencephalogram pattern, the sleeping pattern or even the neuroendocrine functions [1, 2, 7, 9]. de Seze et al. found no alterations in the levels of pituitary hormones in association with prolonged cell phone use [4], whereas Burch et al. demonstrated a reduced 6-hydroxymelatonin sulphate (6OHMS) level in the urine among those using a cell phone for over 25 minutes= day; 6-OHMS is the urinary metabolite reflecting the serum level of the pineal hormone melatonin [1]. Melatonin is known to be an antioxidant that protects against lipid peroxidation in the retina, brain, liver cells, and even human sperm [6]. The electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell phones may cause DNA breakage in cells in the male genital tract, as this can occur in a low-frequency electromagnetic field. In vitro studies appear justified to investigate the increased numbers of chromosome aberrations of the micronuclei in human leucocytes and DNA breaks [8, 10, 11]. Additionally, a recent pilot study has shown that proteomics may be an effective tool in the search for cell responses to weak stimuli, including cell phone radiation. Multiple cell phone radiation protein targets were found in endothelial cells that participate in basic physiological cell functions such as cell energy production, protein translation, and cytoskeleton-dependent processes. The most important finding from the aspect of spermatozoa movement could well be the decline in the expression of isocitrate-dehydrogenase 3 (NADþ)a, a subunit of the mitochondrial enzyme, which catalyses the conversion of Address correspondence to I. Fejes, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Szeged, H-6725 Szeged, Semmelweis u 1, Hungary. E-mail: fejesimi@yahoo.com Archives of Andrology, 53:105–106, 2007 Copyright # Informa Healthcare ISSN: 0148-5016 print=1521-0375 online DOI: 10.1080/01485010600915202

Pregnancy Rate after Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation and Intrauterine Insemination for the Treatment of Endometriosis following Surgery

Objective. To compare pregnancy rate after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and intrauterine insemination (COH-IUI) with no treatment in patients with endometriosis-associated infertility treated with laparoscopy. Design. A clinical cohort study. Setting. University-level tertiary care center. Patients. 238 women with various stages of endometriosis after laparoscopic treatment. Interventions. Either COH-IUI or follow-up for 12 months. Main Outcome Measures. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy and live birth rate. Predictive factors evaluated were female age, maternal BMI, and duration of infertility. Results. The pregnancy rate attained after the integrated laparoscopy–COH-IUI approach was 53.4%, while it was significantly lower (38.5%) in the control group. Similarly, a significant difference was observed in live births (48.3% versus 34.2%). Patients with severe endometriosis were less likely to achieve pregnancy (38%) and live birth (35%) than their counterparts with milder forms (57% and 53%). Conclusions. In patients with endometriosis-based infertility, surgery followed by COH-IUI is more effective than surgery alone.

Effects of aromatase inhibitor on menopausal hyperplasia in a case of obesity

The aromatase inhibitor anastrazole proved effective in the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia and postmenopausal bleeding in an obese 65-year-old woman with high operative risk. During anastrazole administration for 12 months, the endometrial thickness decreased from 9.8 mm to 2.4 mm and the control endometrial histology showed an atrophic endometrium. Uterine bleeding did not occur in the post-treatment, 3-year follow-up period. The endometrial thicknesses measured yearly by ultrasonography were 2.9, 3.5 and 3.3 mm. The plasma estradiol levels increased from < 73 pmol/l post-treatment to 112, 98 and 103 pmol/l. This case demonstrates that long-term aromatase inhibitor treatment can result in a refractory status of the endometrium and the estradiol produced in the adipose tissue does not exert a proliferative effect.

Results of insemination (AIH) following GnRH treatment of endometriosis.

Endometriosis is one of the most frequent benign diseases in gynecology. It is the cause of the pelvic pain and infertility in more than 35% of women of reproductive age. The most appropriate treatment for endometriosis is the combination of surgery and adjuvant medical therapy with GnRH agonists. The authors demonstrate the results of 33 artificial intrauterine homolog inseminations after a 6-month GnRH analog therapy.