Vitamin D Deficiency in Infertile Males with Oligospermia: A Cross-sectional Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: The male factor responsible for infertility includes oligospermia. According to WHO criteria, oligospermia is sperm concentration less than 15 million per millilitre of semen. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone synthesized in the skin and derived from the diet. A serum level less than 20 ng/dl is regarded as vitamin D deficiency. The deficiency of vitamin D has been linked to many reproductive disorders. This study was designed to analyze the association between serum vitamin D level and oligospermia. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in the Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and infertility of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, during the period of July 2018 to June 2019. There are 157 infertile males with oligospermia in one group and 157 infertile males with normozoospermia in another group. A base line semen analysis for evaluation of male infertility was done, and serum vitamin D level was estimated. Results: The mean vitamin D level is 16.75+5.75 ng/ml in males with oligospermia and 19.83+5.33 ng /ml in males with normozoospermia. By the threshold defined, all the infertile males are deficient in vitamin D. The difference between the circulating levels of vitamin D in the two groups is statistically significant (p<0.05). VitaminD deficiency is 4.25 times more in infertile males with oligospermia than in males with normozoospermia. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with oligospermia in infertile males. J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2022; 40: 253-256