Abstract
Introduction: Visfatin is involved in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide biosynthesis, with a possible role in spermatogenesis. We investigated seminal plasma visfatin levels and its possible correlations with sperm parameters (concentration, motility, morphology) and BMI.
Materials and methods: We included 79 semen samples obtained from men from infertile couples presenting for sperm analysis. The samples were divided into 2 groups: a group of 35 samples with normal sperm parameters and another group of 44 samples with at least one abnormal sperm parameter. Seminal plasma visfatin levels were determined using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.
Results: Demographic data and body mass index (BMI) were similar in our subjects. As expected, the sperm parameters were significantly different between the 2 groups we studied. Visfatin levels did not differ between groups (66.6 ng/ml in normal samples and 72.7 ng/ml in abnormal samples, p=0.114) and did not correlate with sperm motility, sperm morphology, and BMI. However, a negative correlation between visfatin levels and sperm concentration (r=−0.28; p=0.014) and sperm count (r=−0.3; p=0.009), respectively, was detected.
Conclusions: Visfatin was detected in all human seminal plasma samples. Although its levels were similar in subjects with and without normal sperm parameters, a role for visfatin in sperm physiology cannot be ruled out at this point and further research is required.