P37 - Correlation between seminal testosterone and cortisol and semen parameters in normozoospermic and teratozoospermic men

Background/Introduction Male infertility is an increasing global concern including men in reproductive peak experiencing difficulties in achieving conception. Even men classified as normozoospermic by WHO criteria often face (in/sub)fertility. Hormones like testosterone and stress-mimetic cortisol are believed to influence male reproductive function, but their specific roles in semen quality are not fully understood. Purpose This study aimed to assess testosterone and cortisol concentrations in seminal plasma and investigate their associations with semen quality in normozoospermic (N) and teratozoospermic (T) men. Methods Semen samples were obtained from 32 participants (14 N, 18 T), qualified for the governmental assisted reproduction program. Ethical approval was granted from the Ethical Committee of the Medical Faculty University of Belgrade (1322/X- 10). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Standard semen parameters were analyzed, including sperm number, motility, morphology, viscosity, and gelatinous clamp. Hormone levels were measured in seminal plasma. Group comparisons were performed using the Mann–Whitney test, and associations between variables were evaluated using Spearman’s correlation and linear regression analysis. Results The seminal plasma testosterone (p = 0.41), or cortisol (p = 0.53) levels were not different between N and T groups. However, significant differences were observed in sperm number and morphology (p < 0.0001) between N and T groups. In the N, cortisol level in seminal plasma positively correlated with sperm motility (r = 0.76), while testosterone predicted both sperm motility (R2 = 0.2755, p = 0.0305) and viscosity (R2 = 0.6069, p = 0.0002). In the same group a strong positive correlation was observed between sperm number and gelatinous material (r = 0.87). In the T, correlations included testosterone-cortisol (r = 0.87), morphology-viscosity (r = 0.62), and a negative correlation between gelatinous material and morphology (r = –0.50). No significant predictive models were identified in this group. Conclusion(s) Testosterone and cortisol levels did not differ between normozoospermic and teratozoospermic men. Their functional relationships with semen parameters were evident only in the normozoospermic group. Although preliminary due to the limited sample size, these results suggest a potential modulatory role of seminal testosterone and cortisol in sperm function in men with otherwise normal sperm profiles.