Endocrinology of male infertility: evaluating hormonal imbalance in infertile males with oligozoospermia

Introduction: The male factor has become more significant in recent years and accounts for about half of the cases of infertility. Hormonal imbalance has significant contribution in causing infertility among oliogozoospermic males. Objective: To evaluate hormonal imbalance contributing to infertility in males with oligozoospermia. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Special Chemistry and Microbiology, Shalamar Institute of Health Sciences, Lahore, from January 2022 to February 2024. Data of 113 infertile males aged 18–50 years with sperm concentration <15 million/ml were retrieved from the hospital information system using convenient sampling. Hormonal profiles including LH, FSH, testosterone, prolactin, and TSH were recorded along with clinical details. Quantitative data were analyzed as means and standard deviations, qualitative data as frequencies and percentages. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v25, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Mean age of the infertile males (n=113) was 32±7.87 years. Evaluation of hormonal profiles in infertile males with oligospermia revealed normal hormonal profile (testosterone, FSH, LH, TSH and prolactin) in 65 (57.52%) males. Twenty-one (18.58%) had secondary hypogonadism, while oligospermia, primary spermatogenic failure and partial androgen resistance was seen in 6-7% of individuals. All the hormonal imbalances showed no statistically significant difference with respect to sperm concentration (p >0.05) except for partial androgen resistance (p=0.033). Conclusion: Hormonal imbalances have significant contribution in causing infertility among oligozoospermic males. It is imperative to conduct a prompt hormonal evaluation of the male factor, as certain causes of male infertility remain unclear despite advancements in diagnosis.