Association of circulatory Kisspeptin levels and hormonal interplay with male infertility: A cross-sectional study in Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives: To determine the impact of Kisspeptin on male reproductive axis in a selected urban population. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Sindh Institute of Reproductive Medicine in collaboration with Aga Khan University, Karachi, from July, 2017, to February, 2018, and comprised infertile males with abnormal sperm parameters who were placed in Group A and fertile males with normal sperm parameters placed in Group B. Serum samples were estimated for Kisspeptin, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone and sex hormone-binding globulin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data was analysed using SPSS 22. RESULTS: Of the 313 male subjects, 178(57%) were in Group A and 135(43%) in Group B. Median Kisspeptin levels were higher among fertile males compared to infertile males (p<0.001). Mean follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone values were higher among the fertile males (p<0.001). There was significant interaction between follicle stimulating hormone and testosterone (p<0.1). CONCLUSIONS: Fertility in males depended on optimal secretion of Kisspeptin which exert edits effect on hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis to increase male reproductive hormone production.