Relationship of Zinc Concentrations in Blood and Seminal Plasma with Various Semen Parameters in Infertile Subjects

Objective: To find out relationship of zinc concentrations in blood and seminal plasma with various semen parameters between fertile and infertile men. Design: Prospective study. Setting: This study was carried out in the Infertility Clinic of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi and Department of Biochemistry, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi. Subjects & Methods: Fifty eight primary infertile male subjects, without any treatment, who had regular unprotected intercourse for at least 12 months without conception with their partners, aged 20-40 years, were selected from Infertility Clinic Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi. After semen analyses they were grouped as, oligospermic (30), and azoospermic (28). Twenty five known fertile male selected from general population and after semen analysis were taken as normospermic control group. Semen analyzed according to WHO criteria. Serum and seminal plasma zinc were estimated by 5Br. PAPS Colorimetric method. Results: This study showed significant difference in serum and seminal zinc levels in normospermic, oligospermic (p<0.05) and azoospermic (p<0.005) subjects. Seminal plasma zinc showed a positive correlation with sperm count and negative with sperm motility in normospermic and oligospermic and negative correlation with volume, pH, WBC concentration in all three groups. There was no correlation found with sperm morphology. Conclusion: On the basis of the findings of this study and those of other reports, zinc may contribute to fertility through its significant effects on various semen parameters. It seems that the estimation of seminal plasma zinc may help in investigation and treatment of infertile males.