Investigation of Vitamin D Levels in Men with Suspected Infertility

Author:

Aşır Fırat1ORCID,Duran Senem Çetin1,Afşin Muhammet2,Duran Enis3,Korak Tuğcan4,Şahin Fırat1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical Faculty, Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakır, Turkey

2. Department of Andrology, Health Sciences University, Gazi Yasargil Education and Research Hospital, 21090 Diyarbakir, Turkey

3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Faculty, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, 65000 Van, Turkey

4. Department of Medical Biology, Medical Faculty, Kocaeli University, 41001 Kocaeli, Turkey

Abstract

Male infertility may be caused by an impaired sperm functionality, with insufficient vitamin D levels affecting the quantity and development of motile sperm. Given the influence of vitamin D on vital aspects of male infertility, this study aimed to investigate the correlation between vitamin D levels and male infertility, along with exploring the possible mechanism of action. A total of 306 male participants were included. Semen samples were collected and analyzed for semen parameters with demographic features. Patients were classified into two groups based on vitamin D levels of <20 ng/mL (low) and ≥20 ng/mL (high). The Super-PRED, Swiss TargetPrediction, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases were utilized to retrieve potential molecular targets associated with both vitamin D and male infertility, while the STRING database was employed for constructing protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and conducting a functional enrichment analysis. A total of 146 patients (47.71%) showed low vitamin D levels and 160 patients (52.29%) had high vitamin D levels. Vitamin D was not strongly influenced by demographic parameters. Vitamin D demonstrated significant positive correlations with type A and B sperm motility. Conversely, it exhibited significant negative correlations with type C and D sperm motility. Hormones (thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, estradiol) were not significantly associated with vitamin D; however, testosterone was significantly positive correlated with vitamin D. Notably, no significant correlation was found between vitamin D levels and iron, ferritin, hemoglobin, hematocrit, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels. The functional annotations of potential vitamin D targets associated with male infertility primarily indicated involvement in regulating infection, the immune response, forkhead box O (FOXO) and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) signals in male infertility. Adequate vitamin D levels are associated with an improved reproductive health, evidenced by positive correlations with hormone levels and sperm motility. Specifically, the FOXO and HIF-1 signaling pathways may be effective in the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of vitamin D on male infertility and/or in the significant correlations identified.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Reference40 articles.

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4. Infertility as a Proxy of General Male Health: Results of a Cross-Sectional Survey;Ventimiglia;Fertil. Steril.,2015

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