Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
J Infect Dis. 2022 Sep 28;226(7):1140-1150. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac329.
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes congenital defects. Sexual transmission of ZIKV was confirmed in a recent epidemic; however, mechanisms behind ZIKV infection and persistence in the male reproductive tract (MRT) are unknown. Previously, we found that approximately 33% of men with symptomatic ZIKV infections shed ZIKV RNA in semen, and some men shed ZIKV RNA for >3 months. Here, we evaluated the semen of 49 ZIKV-infected men to identify immune factors correlating with long-term ZIKV shedding in semen and ZIKV-infected cell types in semen. We found that prolonged ZIKV RNA shedding in semen was associated with MRT inflammation, indicated by higher leukocyte counts and inflammatory cytokine concentrations in semen of long-term versus short-term shedders. In addition, we found ZIKV RNA in seminal leukocytes and epithelial cells. This study of human semen from ZIKV-infected men provides critical insights into the effects of ZIKV on MRT health.
Zika 病毒（ZIKV）是一种通过蚊子传播的黄病毒，可导致先天性缺陷。最近的一次疫情证实了 Zika 病毒可以通过性传播；然而，Zika 病毒在男性生殖系统（MRT）中的感染和持续存在的机制尚不清楚。此前，我们发现约 33%的 Zika 病毒感染症状男性的精液中会排出 Zika 病毒 RNA，部分男性的精液中会排出 Zika 病毒 RNA 长达 3 个月以上。在这里，我们评估了 49 名 Zika 病毒感染男性的精液，以鉴定与精液中 Zika 病毒长期排出和精液中 Zika 病毒感染细胞类型相关的免疫因素。我们发现，精液中 Zika 病毒 RNA 的长期排出与 MRT 炎症有关，长期排出者的精液中白细胞计数和炎症细胞因子浓度高于短期排出者。此外，我们在精液中的白细胞和上皮细胞中发现了 Zika 病毒 RNA。这项针对 Zika 病毒感染男性精液的研究为 Zika 病毒对 MRT 健康的影响提供了重要的见解。
