NORMALIZATION OF SERUM VITAMIN D IMPROVES SEMEN MOTILITY PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC MALE INFERTILITY

A Alzoubi; H Mahdi; S Al Bashir; O Halalsheh; M Al Ebbini; M Alzarir; K Al-Ahmar; M Alfaqih; A H Al-Hadidi

doi:10.4183/aeb.2017.180

NORMALIZATION OF SERUM VITAMIN D IMPROVES SEMEN MOTILITY PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC MALE INFERTILITY

Acta Endocrinol (Buchar). 2017 Apr-Jun;13(2):180-187. doi: 10.4183/aeb.2017.180.

Authors

A Alzoubi¹, H Mahdi¹, S Al Bashir², O Halalsheh³, M Al Ebbini¹, M Alzarir¹, K Al-Ahmar¹, M Alfaqih⁴, A H Al-Hadidi¹

Affiliations

¹ Jordan University of Science and Technology, College of Medicine, Departments of Pharmacology, Irbid, Jordan.
² Jordan University of Science and Technology, College of Medicine, Departments of Pathology, Irbid, Jordan.
³ Jordan University of Science and Technology, College of Medicine, Departments of Urology, Irbid, Jordan.
⁴ Jordan University of Science and Technology, College of Medicine, Departments of Biochemistry, Irbid, Jordan.

Abstract

Context: Idiopathic male infertility is evident in half of infertile males. Vitamin D receptors are expressed throughout male reproductive tract, including spermatozoa, promoting motility. Epidemiological studies revealed the positive association between serum vitamin D and semen quality. However, there are no clinical studies examining the differential role of vitamin D in idiopathic male infertility.

Objectives: 1) To investigate the association between vitamin D deficiency and idiopathic male infertility, and 2) To determine whether vitamin D deficient males would show restoration of semen quality parameters upon supplementation with vitamin D.

Design: This was a year-long case-control study from November 2015 to November 2016. A therapeutic intervention cohort for 2 months was also performed.

Subjects and methods: 117 Jordanian males were enrolled. Following a clinical evaluation by a urologist, baseline serum vitamin D and semen fluid analyses were collected. Participants were stratified into 3 groups: controls (n=30), idiopathic infertility (n=67), and secondary infertility (n=20). Idiopathic infertility patients with low vitamin D (n= 45) were supplemented with oral vitamin D, 5000 IU, once daily for two months. Thereafter, serum vitamin D and semen fluid analyses were reassessed (n= 34; 11 patients were lost to follow up).

Results: Vitamin D was significantly lower in patients with idiopathic infertility than in both controls and men with secondary infertility. Significant improvement of progressive and total sperm motility was observed after vitamin D treatment. Vitamin D correlated significantly with semen quality in the study population. However, no correlation was found between vitamin D and any of the semen quality parameters in the idiopathic infertility group.

Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation improves sperm motility in idiopathic male infertility patients with low vitamin D. Larger and longer clinical trials are warranted to validate the use of vitamin D in these cases.

Keywords: idiopathic; male infertility; vitamin D.