Correlation between serum lipids profile with sperm parameters of infertile men with abnormal semen analysis

Background: One of the main laboratory tests for evaluation of infertility is semen analysis (SA). However, additional tests may be suggested for further diagnosis of male fertility potentials. The seminal fluid contains sperms, non-sperm cells, and various types of lipids and glucose. Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to correlate the sperm parameters with concentrations of cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and HDL in serum samples of infertile men with abnormal SA. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 infertile men (aged 23-49 years) with abnormal SA were enrolled for this cross-sectional study. Sperm concentration and motility was evaluated using Makler chamber. While, normal morphology was done after Geimsa staining. Following 12 h of fasting, the blood samples were obtained for evaluation of cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL, and HDL levels. The lipid profiles were compared with the rates of normal and abnormal sperm parameters. Chi-square and fisher exact tests were used for data evaluation. Results: 75.5% and 98% of the subjects with normal levels of triglyceride had abnormal sperm morphology and progressive motility, respectively. Also, abnormal levels of triglyceride and cholesterol were related with abnormal sperm morphology and motility. The levels of LDL and HDL were normal in 80% and 89.3% of the cases, respectively. The majority of the patients with normal LDL had abnormal sperm parameters. Conclusion: The results showed that the concentrations of serum lipids were not generally related with the quality of semen parameters. Further studies on the role of lipid profiles of infertile men with sperm fertilizing potentials are necessary.