Inhibin B, A putative marker of spermatogenesis: its value in assessment of patients with varicocele

ABSTRACT

This study was an attempt to evaluate the significance of estimating serum levels of inhibin B among different categories of varicocele patients, to find out the relationship between thin protein and serum levels of FSH as well as sperm parameters and to detect the influence of varicocelectomy on this protein. Serum levels of inhibin B for 48 patients with varicocele were studied in comparison with 20 healthy fertile non-varicocele controls using a one-step two- site ELISA technique. It was found that serum inhibin B levels for patients with varicocele were significantly lower than that of fertile non- varicocele men and were not correlated with serum FSH levels or sperm parameters. Varicocelectomy restored the serum levels of inhibin B to its normal values that was associated with a significant improvement of seminal parameters