MR 30. Clinical significance of serum inhibin - B in the diagnosis of azoospermia

Objective: To evaluate the clinical significance of serum inhibin B in the differential diagnosis of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia.

Methods: Totally 67 patients with azoospermia (18 cases of obstructive azoospermia and 49 cases of non-obstructive azoospermia) were diagnosed through combination methods. Meanwhile, 60 normal fertile men were enrolled as controls. The clinical value of serum inhibin B in the differential diagnosis of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia was evaluated through retrospective study.

Results: The serum inhibin B was not significantly different between the controls and the obstructive azoospermia group, also the same results for serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). However, the serum inhibin B in the non-obstructive azoospermia group was significantly lower than the controls and the obstructive azoospermia group (both P<0.01), while the FSH was significantly higher than the controls and the obstructive azoospermia group (P<0.01). The serum inhibin B and FSH had an obviously negative correlation in each group (r=–0.65). The area under curve of the ROC curve of serum inhibin B was significantly larger than that of FSH (P<0.01). The cutoff point or the best reference value of the diagnosis of serum inhibin B was 127.49 pg/mL, with a sensitivity and specificity of 69.4% and 83.3%, respectively; the cutoff point of FSH was 7.8 mIU/mL, with a sensitivity and specificity of 46.9% and 88.9%, respectively.

Conclusions: Serum inhibin B shows certain value in the differential diagnosis of obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia.