Genomic, hormonal, and anthropometric factors as crucial contributors to male infertility in Abeokuta, Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract. Amballi AA, Olooto WE, Kosoko OT, Owagboriaye FO. 2025. Genomic, hormonal, and anthropometric factors as crucial contributors to male infertility in Abeokuta, Southwestern Nigeria. Asian J Trop Biotechnol 22: 16-22. The failure to get pregnant despite regular, unprotected sexual intercourse among couples has psychosocial and socioeconomic impacts. This study aims to investigate the contributions of anthropometric, genomic, and hormonal factors to male infertility. Hence, 48 infertile men and 12 men with proven fertility, aged from 26 to 55 years, were selected as cases and controls, respectively. Anthropometric measurements (height and weight) were done, Body Mass Index (BMI) was computed, and serum Follicle-Stimulating Hormones (FSH), Luteinizing Hormones (LH), and testosterone were measured. Semen was obtained for seminal fluid analysis and phenotyping assay. There is no significant change in the anthropometric indicators (height, weight, BMI); 4.2% of the infertile men were normospermic, 20.8% were azoospermic, and 75% were oligospermic. There was an increase in FSH, LH, and testosterone in all the infertile subgroups and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in sperm count in infertile males. While 70% of sperm cells exhibited fast movement in the controls, sperm movement was 9.5, 5.5, and 15% normal, slow, and non-motile, respectively, among infertile men. The percentage of deletions in Azoospermia Factor a (AZFa) region using sY84 and sY86 was 66.7%, and none in the control group. It can be concluded that high plasma levels of gonadotrophins, low sperm count, and high levels of testosterone are pathognomonic of male infertility. While the deletion of AZFa region is conclusively indicative of infertility, its non-deletion does not conclusively indicate fertility; thus, factors other than hormonal abnormalities are associated with male infertility.