In varicocele (VC) patients, seminal plasma MIR210HG (microRNA210 host gene) expression was upregulated, was found to be linked with the severity of VC and could be an independent predictor of VC-related dyszoospermia.

• This study included semen samples from 188 VC patients and 92 healthy men to confirm the expression of the seminal plasma long noncoding RNAs MIR210HG in VC patients as well as to further explore the association between MIR210HG and VC severity and to evaluate whether MIR210HG can predict VC-related dyszoospermia.

• Upregulated MIR210HG levels were detected in seminal plasma of VC patients, which could screen VC patients.

• Seminal plasma MIR210HG levels were upregulated with VC severity and were downregulated at 6 months post-surgery in VC cases.

• Increased MIR210HG concentrations in VC patients with abnormal semen quality could screen those with abnormal semen quality and could serve as an independent predictor of dyszoospermia in VC patients.