ANDROLOGIA

ACCEPTED:SEPTEMBER 5, 1990

23, 141-144 (1991)

Cigarette smoking and sperm quality* G. Holzki, H. Gall and J. Hermann Key words. Spermatozoa - smoking

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semen parameters

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Summary. The effect of cigarette smoking on conventional semen parameters (volume, total sperm count, sperm count/ml, total motility, progressive motility, morphology) was studied retrospectively in 90 healthy patients (50 non-smokers, 40 smokers) of our infertility clinic. Both groups, comparable in age, height and weight, were subdivided into two age groups ( < 28 years, 2 28 years). Smokers were found to have sperm volumes significantly smaller than non-smokers of the same age. No additional effects on sperm parameters were found. Cigarette smoking revealed no detrimental effect on spermatogenesis.

Introduction The effects of environmental factors on male fertility have been discussed by several authors in the past, special interest being paid to the influence of cigarette smoking on sperm quality. A large number of clinical studies (Campbell & Harrison, 1979; Dikshit et al., 1987; Effendy & Krause, 1986; Evans et al., 1981; Godfrey, 1981; Marshburn et al., 1989; Rantala & Koskimies, 1986; Rodgriguez-Rigau et al., 1982; Saaranen et al., 1987; Schirren & Gey, 1969; Schmidt, 1986; Viczian, 1969; Vogt et al., 1985) provided contradictory results. In our study, we aimed to rule out any differences between groups other than smoking habits. Only individuals in good health were entered, selected retrospectively by criteria listed below.

nicotine

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human.

Methods The patients to be evaluated in our study were retrospectively selected from 1,811 men, seen in our infertility clinic between 1984 and 1987. T o select the individuals that were to be considered healthy, and to rule out any factors other than smoking habits, the discrimination criteria listed in Table 1 were applied. All semen samples were obtained on site by masturbation after a five day period of sexual continence. They were immediately processed by an experienced medical technician. We evaluated sperm volume (ml), sperm count, sperm density (sperms/ml), sperm motility (as recommended by Ludvik, 1976), linear progressive motility and sperm morphology (following the “Dusseldorf’ pattern by Hofmann & Haider, 1985).

Table I.

Reasons to exclude patients from study

(1) History ~

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Consumption of alcoholic beverages in excess of 2 1 of beer/day or equivalent dose of liquor Abuse of recreational drugs Medications prior to admission Exposure to radiation Acute or chronic infection or inflammation of seminal pathways . History of maldescensus Trauma to the testicles Former smoker Period of continence other than 5 days

(2) Objective findings Varicocele 11” or 111”

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Departement of Dermatology, German Armed Forces Hospital, Ulm, Germany. Correspondence: Dr Georg Holzki, Abt. Dermatologie, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus, Oberer Eselsberg 40, D-W-7900 Ulm, Germany.

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Partly lectured at “Dreilandertagung Fertilitat und Sterilitat,” December 7-9, 1989, Salzburg.

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Testicle volume of less than 15 ml, or any other deviation Deviation of testosterone, prolactine, FSH, or LH Inflammation of seminal pathways (leucocytospermia) Azoospermia

Men that had never smoked were considered nonsmokers, those with a habit of smoking 10 or more cigarettes per day were considered smokers. Both

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groups were then subdivided by age, the limit was set at 28 years. All data were tested for standard distribution (David, Pearson & Stephens), and for variance by t-test. Given positive results, a Student’s t-test was done, for negative results, a U-test (Wilcoxon, Mann & Whitney) was applied. The level of significance was set to 0.05.

Comparison o f sperm essays, age group 27 and younger. Semen quality in the group of men of less than 28 years of age is given in Table 4.The smokers’ semen volume as significantly lower than nonsmokers’, while semen density tended to be higher in smokers’ semen, yet not reaching a level of significance. The total number of spermatozoa was equal in both groups. Neither the test on motility nor the morphology yielded any differences.

Results

Comparison ofsperm essays, age group 28 and older. Semen quality in terms of the parameters studied for the group of individuals age 5 2 8 is given in Table 5. There was no significant difference between smokers and non-smokers. Further details are displayed in Figures 1-6.

90 patients, 50 non-smokers and 40 smokers, were included into the study. The average age, size and body weight was similar in both groups, as shown in Table 2. Comparison of sperm essays. The semen volume of smokers proved to be significantly smaller than the volume produced by non-smokers. No other parameters showed any significant difference (Table 3).

Table 2.

Age (years), height (cm) and body weight (kp)

All Patients n Age (years) Height (cm) Weight (kp)

Non-smokers 50 28.8+ 4.6 178.7+ 6.4 76.1 + 8.9

Patients younger than 28 years Non-smokers n 21 Age (years) 25.1 f 1.4 Height (cm) 178.1 f 5.2 Weight (kp) 74.7f 6.8 Patients older than 27 years Non-smokers n 29 Age (years) 31.5f 4.3 Height (cm) 179.1 f 7.3 Weight (kp) 77.1 f 10.2

Smokers 40 27.9+ 5.3 178.3 f 7.2 78.5f 9.8

Table 4. Sperm parameters of smokers and non-smokers: age

Cigarette smoking and sperm quality.

The effect of cigarette smoking on conventional semen parameters (volume, total sperm count, sperm count/ml, total motility, progressive motility, mor...
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