Abstract
CONTEXT: Oxidative stress, vitamin, and macroelement deficiencies have been implicated in male infertility. It is unknown if diabetes mellitus with its attendant increased oxidative stress makes the seminal quality of the diabetic infertile men worse compared to their nondiabetic counterparts. AIMS: The study investigated semen parameters, seminal plasma calcium, magnesium, Vitamins C and E, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in diabetic and nondiabetic infertile men. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study involving 30 infertile men with type 2 diabetes, 30 infertile nondiabetic men and 30 fertile men. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin, seminal plasma calcium, magnesium, TAC, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, semen analysis, and cultures carried out using the standard procedures. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data were analyzed by the analysis of variance and Student's t-test; the level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Both infertile groups had significantly lower (P < 0.0001) sperm count, percentage motility, TAC, Vitamin E and C, magnesium and calcium when compared to the fertile group. However, there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05) in the mean values of these parameters among the two infertile groups. The infertile men had a significantly higher (P = 0.034) frequency of bacterial isolates compared to the fertile men. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent organism isolated. CONCLUSIONS: Seminal calcium, magnesium, TAC, and Vitamin E and C were lower in both infertile diabetic and nondiabetic men as compared to that of fertile men, but the levels of these analytes were comparable in the infertile diabetic and nondiabetic men.