Alterations of seminal and hormonal parameters: An extrahepatic manifestation of HCV infection?

Table 1 Characteristics of controls and patients before antiviral treatment (mean ± SD)

Parameters	Cases	Controls
Number	10	16
Age (yr)	36.3 ± 2.4	29.7 ± 7.3
Sperm concentration (n/mL)	85.5 ± 63.5	103.6 ± 54.1
Normal motility (%)	45.7 ± 8.8	60.4 ± 6.9
Normal morphology (%)	28.1 ± 9.6	42.0 ± 6.7
Inhibin B (pg/mL)	101.7 ± 47.0	192.8 ± 78.6
Free testosterone (pg/mL)	15.2 ± 2.2	21.4 ± 3.1
Total testosterone (µg/L)	6.72 ± 2.1	6.7 ± 1.3
Prolactine (µg/L)	8.19 ± 5.1	4.6 ± 1.9
LH (mU/mL)	4.02 ± 2.2	2.5 ± 0.7
FSH (mU/mL)	4.81 ± 1.8	3.6 ± 1.4
17-βE (pg/mL)	19.7 ± 6.4	14.9 ± 2.9

Table 2 Seminal and hormonal parameters in responders and non responders before, during and after treatment (mean ± SD)

	Month 0	Month 6	Month 12	Month 0	Month 6	Month 12
	Non responders			Responders
Sperm concentration (n/mL)	84.2 ± 56.6	69.0 ± 35.5	66.6 ± 36.1	86.9 ± 76.6	35.2 ± 25.8	76.8 ± 75.3
Normal motility (%)	45.2 ± 7.0	51.4 ± 13.9	46.0 ± 7.4	46.2 ± 10.7	37.0 ± 17.8	43.8 ± 24.3
Normal morphology (%)	34.8 ± 7.6	24.6 ± 11.3	26.0 ± 6.8	21.4 ± 6.0	14.4 ± 9.2	21.6 ± 12.8
Inhibin B (pg/mL)	98.0 ± 49.2	166.4 ± 30.3b	95.4 ± 55.6	105.3 ± 50.1a	157.4 ± 72.7	143.4 ± 46.1
Free Testosterone (pg/mL)	16.2 ± 1.6	16.4 ± 2.0	16.9 ± 3.4	14.2 ± 2.5	14.6 ± 2.8	17.1 ± 2.6c
Total testosterone (µg/L)	7.4 ± 2.0	7.9 ± 0.9d	6.6 ± 1.0	6.0 ± 2.0	7.3 ± 2.1	6.9 ± 1.0
PRL (μg/L)	7.0 ± 3.8	7.9 ± 1.8	8.9 ± 3.3	9.4 ± 6.3	7.4 ± 3.9	6.5 ± 2.8
LH (mU/mL)	4.2 ± 2.1	3.6 ± 1.8	3.0 ± 1.2	3.8 ± 2.6	4.5 ± 2.5	3.6 ± 0.7
FSH (mU/mL)	4.8 ± 1.7	4.9 ± 1.0	5.7 ± 1.6	4.8 ± 2.1	5.2 ± 0.8	5.1 ± 0.9
17-βE (pg/mL)	19.4 ± 5.3e	14.6 ± 5.1	20.2 ± 6.8	20.0 ± 7.9	12.7 ± 5.2	14.5 ± 2.8

^aP = 0.039 (0 vs 12 mo);

^bP < 0.01 (6 vs 12 mo);

^cP < 0.05 (0 vs 12 mo);

^dP < 0.05 (6 vs 12 mo);

^eP < 0.01 (0 vs 6 mo).