Effect of Tobacco Smoking on Fertility Regulating Hormones in Men
Simon Bannison Bani *
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Kwabena O. Danquah
Nuguchi Memorial Center for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Lawrence Quaye
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Peter Paul M. Dapare
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Yussif Adams
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Moses Banyeh
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Barnabas B. N. Gandau
School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Charles Nkansah
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Kofi Mensah
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
Samuel Kwasi Appiah
Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Tobacco smoking is having a far more serious effect on reproductive health than previously thought and is responsible for many thousands of cases of impotence, miscarriages, and infertility each year. Among those experiencing difficulty with conception, a male fertility problem partly resulting from fertility hormone derangements is considered important. This study assessed the effect of cigarette smoking on fertility hormone levels in males.
Study Design: This is a cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted from January 2010 to November 2010 at the Tamale Teaching Hospital located in the Northern Region of Ghana.
Methodology: In this study, a total of 99 subjects were recruited comprising, 54 (54.5%) smokers and 45 (45.5%) non-smokers. The smokers were stratified into mild (smoke <5 sticks of cigarette/day), moderate (smoke 5–10 sticks of cigarette/day), and heavy smokers (smoke >10 sticks/day). Fertility regulating hormones such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (TES), oestradiol (E2II) and sex hormone binding globulins (SHBG) were assayed. Total protein (TPRO) and albumin (ALB) were also estimated.
Results: In this study, 14.1% of the smokers were mild smokers, 30.3% were moderate smokers while 10.1% were heavy smokers. FHS, LH, PRL, E2II, SHBG were not significantly different among smokers and non-smokers; however, testosterone (TES) levels (ng mL-1) in smokers were significantly higher compared to non-smokers (7.33 ± 3.3 vrs 5.78 ± 1.8, p = .01). ALB (g/L) was significantly lower in smokers (35.91 ± 4.5 vrs 41.18 ± 7.5, P = .04) while GLO (g/L) was significantly higher in smokers (44.28 ± 7.7 vrs 34.15 ± 8.6, P = .005) compared to non-smokers.
Conclusion: This study therefore concludes that, fertility hormone levels were not significantly affected by tobacco smoking; except testosterone level, which is significantly higher in smokers compared to non-smokers.
Keywords: Cigarette smoking, tobacco, fertility hormones, smokers, nonsmokers