Serum Testosterone-Estradiol Ratio in Toxoplasma-Seropositive Infertile Men: A Prospective, Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the current study was to compare the testosteroneestradiol (T:E2) ratio in Toxoplasma gondii seropositive infertile men with seropositive and seronegative normozoospermic controls.

METHODS

Totally, 200 men with normal virilization, 100 with idiopathic infertility and 100 normozoospermic men, were included. Participants underwent medical history assessment, physical examination, semen analysis, testing for T. gondii IgM/IgG, and estimation of serum T:E2 ratios. Statistical comparisons were done using t-test and Chi-square with p<0.05 significance level.

RESULTS

Infertile cases were diagnosed with oligozoospermia (63%), oligoasthenozoospermia (34%), and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (3%). Regarding anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, among infertile men, 34 tested positive for IgG and 8 tested positive for IgM. Among cases tested positive for IgG antibodies, 13 (38.2%) had disturbed T:E2 ratios. Also, among the 12 IgG-positive controls, 5 (41.7%) had disturbed T:E2 ratios (p=0.834). However, only 2 out of the 83 seronegative controls (2.5%) had disturbed T:E2 ratios (p<0.001). Furthermore, 6 out of 8 IgM-positive cases had altered T:E2 ratios, compared to 3 out of 5 IgM-positive controls (p=0.568) and 2 out of 83 seronegative controls (p<0.001). The T:E2 ratio was significantly lower (8.68±1.95) among IgM-positive and higher (13.04±3.78) among IgG-positive cases when compared to seronegative controls (10.45±0.54) (p<0.001). There were no significant differences in T:E2 ratios between infertile men with positive IgM or IgG serology and the control group with the same serology.

CONCLUSION

A substantial number of infertile men with toxoplasmosis showed disrupted T:E2 ratios, highlighting the significance of anti-T. gondii-IgG testing in individuals with abnormal ratios.