Volume 35, Issue 6 pp. 337-341

Zinc deficiency in men with Crohn's disease may contribute to poor sperm function and male infertility

A. M. El-Tawil

Corresponding Author

A. M. El-Tawil

Department of Gastroenterology, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK

*Department of Gastroenterology, City Hospital, Dudley Road, Birmingham B18 7QH, UK. Tel.: +44–121–773–5935; Fax: +44–121–446–6220; e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author
First published: 24 April 2009
Citations: 4

Abstract

Summary. In Great Britain, married couples were reported to have between 1.9 and 2.1 children, while men with Crohn's disease had a mean of 1.2 and of 0.4 children before and after diagnosis, respectively. The role of zinc for male fertility is essential. Although lack of zinc in Crohn's disease is well established in up to 70% of patients, a possible relation between zinc deficiency and male subfertility in Crohn's disease remains unclear. This study is aimed at examining a possible link between zinc deficiency in men with Crohn's disease and male subfertility in this group of patients.

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