Semen quality of 324 fertile Japanese men

Author： Iwamoto T. Nozawa S. Yoshiike M. Hoshino T. Baba K. Matsushita T. Tanaka S.N. Naka M. Skakkebæk N.E. Jørgensen N.

Publisher： Oxford University Press

ISSN： 1460-2350

Source： Human Reproduction, Vol.21, Iss.3, 2006-03, pp. : 760-765

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: A number of studies have indicated regional differences in semen quality. To examine the current status in Japan, we undertook a cross-sectional study on the semen quality of fertile Japanese men for comparison with recent European results. METHODS: Semen parameters of 324 fertile men from the Kawasaki/Yokohama area were investigated. The semen parameters were compared with those published for fertile men from four European cities, Copenhagen, Paris, Edinburgh and Turku. RESULTS: When adjusting for confounders such as ejaculation abstinence period and age, the lowest sperm concentrations were detected in men from Kawasaki/Yokohama followed by men from Copenhagen, Paris, Edinburgh and Turku, but only the differences between men from Kawasaki/Yokohama and men from Edinburgh and Turku were significant (P = 0.0008 and P < 0.0001,="" respectively).="" total="" sperm="" count,="" percentage="" of="" motile="" sperm="" and="" percentage="" of="" normal="" sperm="" observed="" in="" kawasaki/yokohama="" were="" significantly="" lower="" than="" those="" from="" all="" european="" centres="" except="" for="" motile="" sperm="" in="" men="" from="" paris.="" conclusions:="" japanese="" fertile="" men="" had="" a="" semen="" quality="" at="" the="" level="" of="" danish="" men,="" who="" have="" been="" reported="" to="" have="" the="" lowest="" among="" investigated="" men="" in="" europe.="" the="" low="" level="" of="" semen="" quality="" of="" the="" fertile="" japanese="" men="" may="" be="" due="" to="" lifestyle="" or="" other="" environmental="" factors;="" however,="" ethnic="" differences="" caused="" by="" different="" genetic="" variation="" or="" combinations="" cannot="" be="" ruled="" out="" by="" this="" study.="">