Pérez-Soto Elvia, Oros-Pantoja Rigoberto, Fernández-Martínez Eduardo, Carbonell-Campos Juan Manuel, Sánchez Monroy Virginia
Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Mexico.
Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico.
Cent Eur J Immunol. 2021;46(1):76-81. doi: 10.5114/ceji.2021.105247. Epub 2021 Apr 18.
Infection and inflammation of the reproductive tract by Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) are recognized as significant risk factors for male infertility. This study aimed to evaluate CT infection and its effects on seminal parameters and cytokines in asymptomatic patients with teratozoospermia.
Semen samples from one hundred four male patients were collected, and CT detection was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The quality (volume, sperm concentration, pH, motility, morphology, and leucocytes) of the semen was measured by standard procedures recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1 , IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-), and interferon (IFN-)], as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10), were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The frequency of CT infection was expressed as a percentage. Descriptive statistics were used for comparison of cytokines from infertile men, and then the Mann-Whitney U test was applied for the contrast of seminal parameters and cytokines from CT-infected versus non-CT infected men.
A ratio of 33/104 (31.7%) patients were positive for CT infection. The ejaculate of positive CT infection was found to have increased pH (pH = 7.65 in non-CT infected vs. 7.94 CT-infected men; p = 0.026). High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were found in the population studied; however, infected males were noted to have high levels of IL-1 [184.66 (0-3985.33 pg/ml), p = 0.001] and IL-6 [87.8 (0-1042.8 pg/ml), p = 0.001].
CT infection increased seminal pH, as well as IL-1 and IL-6 cytokines, suggesting a potential role of infection and inflammation in asymptomatic patients with teratozoospermia.
沙眼衣原体（CT）对生殖道的感染和炎症被认为是男性不育的重要危险因素。本研究旨在评估无症状畸形精子症患者的CT感染情况及其对精液参数和细胞因子的影响。
收集104例男性患者的精液样本，采用聚合酶链反应（PCR）进行CT检测。精液质量（体积、精子浓度、pH值、活力、形态和白细胞）按照世界卫生组织（WHO）推荐的标准程序进行测量。采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法测定促炎细胞因子[白细胞介素（IL）-1、IL-6、IL-8、肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）-α和干扰素（IFN）-γ]以及抗炎细胞因子（IL-4、IL-10）。CT感染频率以百分比表示。采用描述性统计方法比较不育男性的细胞因子，然后应用曼-惠特尼U检验对比CT感染男性与未感染CT男性的精液参数和细胞因子。
104例患者中有33例（31.7%）CT感染呈阳性。CT感染阳性患者的射精液pH值升高（未感染CT男性的pH值为7.65，感染CT男性的pH值为7.94；p = 0.026）。在所研究的人群中发现促炎细胞因子水平较高；然而，感染男性的IL-1α[184.66（0 - 3985.33 pg/ml），p = 0.001]和IL-6[87.8（0 - 1042.8 pg/ml），p = 0.001]水平较高。
CT感染会使精液pH值以及IL-1α和IL-6细胞因子升高，这表明感染和炎症在无症状畸形精子症患者中可能发挥潜在作用。
