OBJECTIVE

To investigate the spontaneous variation of leukocytospermia (>1 million/mL) in semen samples from infertile men.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Andrologic clinic at university hospital.

PATIENT(S): Ninety-nine men evaluating for infertility causes.

INTERVENTION(S): Two semen analyses according the World Health Organization criteria combined with urologic investigation without any treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Spontaneous (downward/upward) variation in leukocyte count, sperm concentration, total motility, and morphology between the two semen samples.

RESULT(S): In the first semen analysis, 21% of men had leukocytospermia. By the second analysis, leukocyte concentrations were within the normal range in 9 of these 21 men, corresponding to a downward variation of 43%. In contrast, 7 of 78 patients with normal leukocyte levels at the first analysis had leukocytospermia at the second analysis, corresponding to an upward variation of 9%. The upward variation rates for sperm concentration, total motility, and morphology were 4%, 17%, and 4%, respectively. Downward variation rates were considerably higher for total motility and morphology (30% and 28%, respectively).

CONCLUSION(S): The rate for spontaneous downward variation of leukocytospermia in the absence of treatment was 43% in this study. This rate should be taken into consideration when treating infertile men with leukocytospermia, because effective medical therapy is still lacking.