Naelitz BD, Jiang T, Munoz-Lopez C, Sigalos JT, Modiri N, Cannarella R, Mills JN, Parekh N, Nowacki AS, Vij SC, Eleswarapu SV, Lundy SD. Testosterone and luteinizing hormone predict semen parameter improvement in infertile men treated with anastrozole.
Fertil Steril 2023;
120:746-754. [PMID:
37392782 DOI:
10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.06.032]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To identify patient factors associated with a clinically significant improvement in semen parameters among infertile men treated with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole.
DESIGN
Multi-institutional retrospective cohort study.
SETTING
Two Tertiary Academic Medical Centers.
PATIENTS
A total of 90 infertile men treated at 2 tertiary academic medical centers who met inclusion criteria and obtained pretreatment and posttreatment semen analyses.
INTERVENTION
Prescription of anastrozole (median 3 mg/wk).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Upgrade in the World Health Organization sperm concentration category (WHO-SCC). Univariate logistic regression, multivariable logistic regression, and partitioning analyses were performed to identify statistically significant patient factors capable of predicting treatment response.
RESULTS
With anastrozole treatment, 46% (n = 41/90) of men responded favorably with a WHO-SCC upgrade, and 12% (n = 11/90) experienced a downgrade. Responders exhibited lower pretreatment levels of luteinizing hormone (LH, 4.7 vs. 8.3 IU/L) and follicle-stimulating hormone (4.7 vs. 6.7 IU/mL), higher pretreatment levels of testosterone (T, 356 vs. 265 ng/dL), and similar baseline level of estradiol (E2, 73% vs. 70% with detectible level). Baseline semen parameters differed, with anastrozole responders demonstrating higher baseline semen concentration (3.6 vs. 0.3 M/mL) and higher total motile sperm counts (3.7 vs. 0.1 M). Anastrozole therapy converted 29% (n = 26/90) of the cohort to normozoospermia and enabled intrauterine insemination access in 31% (n = 20/64) of previously ineligible patients. Interestingly, neither body mass index nor the baseline E2 level or E2-T ratio was associated with WHO-SCC upgrade. Multivariable logistic regression revealed the T-LH ratio (odds ratio: 1.02, 95% confidence interval: 1.00-1.03) and baseline nonazoospermia (odds ratio: 9.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-78.9) to be statistically significant predictors of WHO-SCC upgrade (area under receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.77). The final user-friendly partitioning model consisting of the T-LH ratio ≥100 and baseline non-azoospermia was 98% sensitive and 33% specific for WHO-SCC upgrades (area under the curve: 0.77).
CONCLUSION
Anastrozole therapy decreases serum E2 levels, increases serum gonadotropins, and clinically improves semen parameters in half of men with idiopathic infertility. Nonazoospermic infertile men with T-LH ratios ≥100 are likely to benefit from anastrozole treatment irrespective of baseline E2 level or E2-T ratio. Men with azoospermia rarely respond to anastrozole and should be counseled on alternative treatments.
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