Assessment of Steroid 5 Alpha Reductase Enzyme Levels and Its Correlation with Sex Hormones in Infertile Iraqi Men

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the 5-alpha reductase enzyme (SRD5A2) levels in serum and it’s association with some sex hormones such as Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin and testosterone hormone and the infertility type in some infertile Iraqi men. Blood and seminal fluid samples from (60) idiopathic male infertile and (30) healthful individuals as a control group aged (18 to 60 year) are collected from private clinics. Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) has been used for estimation of serum SRD5A as enzymes and FSH, LH, prolactin and testosterone as hormones.According to types of sperm count patients have been divided to two group 49 person as azoospermia group (zero /ml) and 11 person as oligospermia group less than 20 million/ml. The levels of SRD5A2 and testosterone are significantly decreased to (P≤0.01) in the infertile men as compared with control group. While the level of FSH, LH and prolactin are significantly higher (P≤ 0.01) in the infertile men than control group. The results of SRD5A2 are non-significant, while, levels of FSH, LH and prolactin are higher significant (P≤ 0.01) except testosterone level which has significant differences (P≤ 0.05) in the age groups <20-30 year, 31–40 year and ≥ 40 year. There are significant differences (P≤ 0.01) in levels of SRD5A2, FSH and prolactin, but the levels of LH are non-significant in the infertility period ≤ 10 year, 11 – 20 year, ≥ 20 year. Smoker infertile men have low levels (P≤ 0.01) in the SRD5A2 and prolactin while have high levels in the LH hormones compared with control. Patients with family history have shown significant differences (P≤0.05) in the levels of SRD5A2, testosterone, LH and prolactin. In conclusion, this study revealed significantly decrease in the levels ofSRD5A2 in the Azoospermic and oligospermic infertile men and significant negative correlation (P<0.05) between SRD5A2 pg/ml and FSH (mIu/ml) R factor-0.328. Therefore, SRD5A2 has important role in the diagnosis of idiopathic male infertility and it's one of the important markers in the diagnosis of normal spermatogenesis.