Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Andrologia. 2021 Feb;53(1):e13914. doi: 10.1111/and.13914. Epub 2020 Nov 24.
COVID-19 pandemic leads to health challenges globally, and its diverse aspects need to be uncovered. Multi-organ injuries have been reported by describing potential SARS-CoV-2 entrance routes: ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Since these cell surface receptors' expression has been disclosed within the male reproductive system, its susceptibility to being infected by SARS-CoV-2 has been summarised through this literature review. Expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 at RNA or protein level has been reported across various investigations indicates that the male genitalia potentially is vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 within semen samples and following direct viral damage, secondary inflammatory response causing orchitis or testicular discomfort and finally the amount of viral load leading testicular damage and immune response activation are among probable underlying mechanisms. Therefore, genital examination and laboratory tests should be considered to address the male reproductive tract complications and fertility issues.
COVID-19 大流行给全球带来了健康挑战,需要揭示其多方面的问题。通过描述潜在的 SARS-CoV-2 进入途径:ACE2 和 TMPRSS2,已经有报道称多器官损伤。由于这些细胞表面受体的表达已在男性生殖系统中被揭示,因此通过文献综述总结了它们对 SARS-CoV-2 的易感性。多项研究报告了 ACE2 和 TMPRSS2 在 RNA 或蛋白质水平的表达,这表明男性生殖器可能容易受到 SARS-CoV-2 的感染。精液样本中存在 SARS-CoV-2 以及直接病毒损伤后,继发的炎症反应导致睾丸炎或睾丸不适,最后是导致睾丸损伤和免疫反应激活的病毒载量,这些都是可能的潜在机制。因此,应该考虑进行生殖器检查和实验室检测,以解决男性生殖道并发症和生育问题。