Table 2. Descriptive statistics of the cohort of infertile patient units (No. = 365).
| Normal semen parameters | iTZS | iOZS | iAZS | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of individuals | 104 (28.5%) | 106 (29.0%) | 35 (9.6%) | 120 (32.9%) | |
| Age (years) | 0.43 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 36.0 (33–40) | 37.0 (34.0–41) | 38.0 (34.0–42) | 37.0 (35.0–41) | |
| Range | 18–50 | 19–54 | 19–47 | 19–55 | |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 0.12 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 24.2 (22.8–26.4) | 24.6(23–26.5) | 25.2 (23.6–27.6) | 25.2 (23.3–27.1) | |
| Range | 18.6–41.6 | 19.5–37.7 | 20.6–39.1 | 20.3–34.7 | |
| CCI (score) | 0.42 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | |
| Median (SD) | 0.1 (0.7) | 0.1 (0.3) | 0.1 (0.2) | 0.1 (0.3) | |
| Range | 0–3 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–4 | |
| CCI ≥ 1 [No. (%)] | 5 (4.8) | 9 (8.5) | 1 (2.9) | 11 (9.2) | 0.41 |
| Total testis volume (Prader estimation) | 0.01 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 20.0 (15–25) | 20.0 (15–25) # | 15.0 (12–20) §,† | 20.0 (15–25) | |
| Range | 8–25 | 10–25 | 8–25 | 8–25 | |
| Smoking status [No. (%)] | 0.33 | ||||
| No smokers/Former smokers | 80 (76.9) | 72 (67.9) | 24 (68.6) | 92 (76.7) | |
| Active smokers | 24 (23.1) | 34 (32.1) | 11 (31.4) | 28 (23.3) | |
| Varicocele [No. (%)] | 48 (46.2) | 50 (47.2) | 18 (51.4) | 62 (51.7) | 0.83 |
| FSH (mUI/mL) | <0.001 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 3.7 (2.4–6.1) | 3.8 (2.8–4.5) # | 6.9 (3.7–10.2) §,† | 3.7 (2.6–5.4) | |
| Range | 0.8–13.1 | 1.3–31.0 | 0.5–31.1 | 1.1–17.1 | |
| LH (mUI/mL) | 0.01 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 3.5 (2.4–4.3) | 3.1 (2.4–4.6) # | 4.2 (3.1–6.0) § | 3.8 (2.7–5.1) | |
| Range | 0.8–8.7 | 1.2–8.4 | 1.6–9.3 | 0.6–11.4 | |
| InhB (pg/mL) | 0.01 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 136.5(100.5–184.6) | 147.3 (106.7–199.1) # | 105.2 (82.8–141.7) §,† | 141.0 (104.3–214.2) | |
| Range | 16.9–334.8 | 14.0–326.7 | 8.0–285.1 | 6.0–538.2 | |
| tT (ng/mL) | 0.81 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 4.6 (3.6–5.5) | 4.7 (3.8–5.8) | 4.7 (3.4–6.1) | 4.8 (3.3–5.9) | |
| Range | 2.2–8.1 | 1.4–9.7 | 2.1–8.7 | 0.9–10.4 | |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 0.96 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 33.0 (24–42) | 32.0 (23–41) | 28.9 (24–42) | 32.0 (23–41) | |
| Range | 9.0–85.0 | 11.0–99.0 | 14.0–154.0 | 11.0–86.0 | |
| NLR | <0.01 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 1.5 (1.2–1.8) | 1.9 (1.4–3.1) §,#,† | 1.4 (0.9–2.2) | 1.7 (1.2–2.1) | |
| Range | 0.7–5.7 | 0.7–5.1 | 0.7–9.6 | 0.7–3.5 | |
| PLR | 0.28 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 109.4 (86.1–135.1) | 113.6 (90.6–147.5) | 107.7 (81.6–128.7) | 114.8 (87.3–140.5) | |
| Range | 54.1–220.8 | 58.7–270.0 | 65.7–340.8 | 50.0–212.2 | |
| MER | 0.21 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 3.0 (2.0–4.0) | 3.4 (2.0–5.0) | 3.0 (2.5–5.0) | 3.0 (2.0–4.3) | |
| Range | 0.7–7.0 | 0.6–12.0 | 0.7–20.0 | 0.9–9.1 | |
| Time of abstinence (days) | 0.71 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 3.0 (2.0–4.0) | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) | 4.0 (2.0–4.0) | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) | |
| Range | 0.2–7.0 | 0.3–7.0 | 0.2–7.0 | 0.3–7.0 | |
| Semen volume (mL) | 0.12 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 3.0 (2.0–4.0) | 3.0 (2.0–4.0) | 4.0 (3.0–4.0) | 3.0 (2.0–4.0) | |
| Range | 0.1–8.0 | 0.1–8.0 | 0.1–10.0 | 0.1–10.0 | |
| Sperm concentration | <0.001 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 44.3 (25.9–79.0) | 48.2 (30.0–82.0) | 6.0 (3.0–10.0) | 37.3 (22.0–63.0) | |
| Range | 15.1–339.0 | 16.2–214.8 | 0.5–12.3 | 15.0–350.2 | |
| Progressive motility | <0.001 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 45.0 (38.0–54.0) | 45.0 (37–52) | 41.0 (36.0–55.0) | 16.5 (10–27) | |
| Range | 32.1–89.0 | 32.0–82.0 | 32.0–78.0 | 0.0–31.0 | |
| Normal morphology | <0.001 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 12.5 (8–37) | 1.0 (0.0–2.0) | 15.0 (5–39) | 8.5 (6.0–20.0) | |
| Range | 4.0–90.0 | 0.0–3.0 | 4.0–82.0 | 5.0–100.0 | |
| SDF index (%) | 0.01 | ||||
| Median (IQR) | 14.5 (5.3–24.3) | 23.6 (12.9–42.5)§,#,† | 12.7 (7.9–35.7) | 13.6 (7.5–33.6) | |
| Range | 0.5–95.3 | 3.8–93.2 | 0.4–96.4 | 0.5–90.0 | |
| SDF index ≥ 30 [No. (%)] | 17 (16.3) | 49 (46.2) | 8 (24.2) | 31 (26.0) | 0.02 |
Keys: SDF = Sperm DNA fragmentation; iTZS = Isolated teratozoospermia; iOZS = isolated oligozoospermia; iAZS = isolated asthenozoospermia; BMI = body mass index; CCI = Charlson Comorbidity Index; tT = total Testosterone; NLR = neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; PLR = platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio; MER = monocyte-to-eosinophil ratio
* p value according to the Kruskal Wallis test and Fisher exact test, as indicated.
§ p < 0.001 vs. normal semen parameters group
# p < 0.001 vs. iOZS group
† p < 0.001 vs. iAZS group