Abstract: Objective This study is in an attempt to evaluate the diagnostic significance to predict the spermatogenesis of
azoospermic men in examination of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) combinatiing with serum inhibin B (INHB).
Methods Quantitative examination of serum FSH and INHB was performed in 95 case of azoospermic men. According to their
classifications of testicular biopsy with histopathological examination, there were 20 patients of Sertoli cell only, 25 of
hypospermatogenesis, 18 of spermatogenic maturation arrest (complete or incomplete), and 32 of normal spermatogenesis.
The association of serum FSH and INHB levels with histopathological classifications were analyzed by using statistical
software. Results Serum FSH, INHB and INHB/FSH levels of Sertoli cell only differed with statistical significance from
hypospermatogenesis, spermatogenic maturation arrest and normal spermatogenesis (P<0.05). FSH, in which there were no
statistical significance among the latter three classifications (P>0.05). Serum FSH, INHB and INHB/FSH levels were no
relationship with maturation arrest (P>0.05), but were negatively related to the other classifications (P<0.05). INHB level less
than 28.55 pg/ml predicted Sertoli cell only in a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 85%. Conclusion Serum FSH and INHB
levels is ineffective to distinguish the spermatogenic classifications from azoospermic men, but they are available to confirm
the disease of Sertoli cell only. The other abnormalities of azoospermic men is also dependent on bioptic histopathology to
confirm the subtypes.