Serum and seminal gonadotropins in normal and infertile men: correlations with sperm count, prolactinemia, and seminal prolactin.

Serum and seminal gonadotropins were evaluated in 30 normozoospermic and 30 oligozoospermic patients. Mean values of basal serum gonadotropins were higher in the oligozoospermic group than in the normozoospermic group: 3.8 versus 1.8 ng/ml and 3.3 versus 2.2 ng/ml for FSH and LH, respectively. Seminal FSH levels were comparable in the normozoospermic and oligozoospermic groups (0.8 versus 0.8 ng/ml, respectively) and were constantly lower than serum FSH levels in both groups. Seminal LH values were constantly higher than serum LH values in the normozoospermic group, whereas in the oligozoospermic group seminal LH values were higher, similar, or lower than serum LH values. However, no significant difference was noted between the two groups for seminal LH values: 3.6 (normozoospermic group) versus 4.1 ng/ml (oligozoospermic group).