Hyperprolactinaemia A Cause of Infertility in Nigerian Men

Abstract

In this study attempt was made to provide the explanation for the possible mechanism, of the interference of, high prolactin levels with spermatogenesis. 128 Nigerian male adults, aged between 23 and 60 years, attending the infertility clinic were used. 76 (59.4%) of the subjects were found to be oligospermic, 37 (28.9%) were normospermic, while 15 (11.7%) were azoospermic. The normospermic subject serves as the control. The 37 normospermic subject had a mean ± Standard Deviation serum testosterone level 6.3 ± 2.9 ng/ml which was significantly higher than 5.6 ± 4.2 ng/ml (P < 0.005) observed in oligospermic subjects (P < 0.005). The prolactin level of normospermic was found to be 106 ± 3.6 ng/ml. This was significantly lower than 186 ± 10.1ng/ml (P < 0.005) obtained for oligospermic and 210 ± 11.4 ng/ml for the azospermic patients. Hyperprolactinaemia in Nigerian men, showed that there is low serum testoterone level and high prolactin level which is indicative of low sperm count that is less than 40 million, which presupposes that hyperprolactinemia might have interfered with the spermatogenesis.

KEY WORDS: Hyperprolactinemia, infertility, Nigerian men.

Nigerian Journal of Health and Biomedical Sciences Vol.4(1) 2005: 17-19