Department of Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
Reprod Sci. 2024 Aug;31(8):2409-2424. doi: 10.1007/s43032-024-01560-5. Epub 2024 Apr 24.
Following an initial recovery, COVID-19 survivors struggle with a spectrum of persistent medical complications, including fatigue, breathlessness, weight loss, hair loss, and attention deficits. Additionally, there is growing evidence of adverse effects of COVID-19 on the male reproductive system. This investigation seeks to understand the long-term ramifications on male fertility by examining hormonal profiles, semen parameters, and sperm proteome of recovered COVID-19 patients compared to controls. The serum hormone profiles between the two groups showed minimal variations except for prolactin, cortisol, and testosterone levels. Testosterone levels were slightly lower, while prolactin and cortisol were elevated in COVID-19 cases compared to controls. Though semen parameters exhibited no significant disparities between the COVID-19 and control groups, quantitative proteomics analysis revealed changes in sperm proteins. It identified 190 differentially expressed proteins, of which 161 were upregulated and 29 downregulated in COVID-19 cases. Western blotting analysis validated the differential expression of serpin B4 and calpain 2. Bioinformatics analysis signifies cellular stress in the spermatozoa of COVID-19 recovered patients and thus, SOD and MDA levels in semen were measured. MDA levels were found to be significantly elevated, indicating lipid peroxidation in COVID-19 samples. While the effects of COVID-19 on semen parameters may exhibit a potential for reversal within a short duration, the alterations it inflicts on sperm proteome are persisting consequences on male fertility. This study paves the path for further research and emphasizes the significance of comprehending the complex molecular processes underlying the long-term consequences of COVID-19 on male reproductive health.
在最初的康复后，COVID-19 幸存者会出现一系列持续的医疗并发症，包括疲劳、呼吸急促、体重减轻、脱发和注意力缺陷。此外，越来越多的证据表明 COVID-19 对男性生殖系统有不良影响。本研究通过检查恢复期 COVID-19 患者与对照组的激素谱、精液参数和精子蛋白质组，来了解对男性生育能力的长期影响。两组血清激素谱除催乳素、皮质醇和睾酮水平外，差异不大。与对照组相比，COVID-19 病例中的睾酮水平略低，而催乳素和皮质醇水平升高。虽然 COVID-19 组和对照组之间的精液参数没有显著差异，但定量蛋白质组学分析显示精子蛋白发生了变化。鉴定出 190 种差异表达蛋白，其中 COVID-19 病例中有 161 种上调，29 种下调。Western blot 分析验证了丝氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂 B4 和钙蛋白酶 2 的差异表达。生物信息学分析表明 COVID-19 康复患者的精子中存在细胞应激，因此测量精液中的 SOD 和 MDA 水平。发现 MDA 水平显著升高，表明 COVID-19 样本中存在脂质过氧化。虽然 COVID-19 对精液参数的影响可能在短时间内表现出逆转的潜力，但它对精子蛋白质组造成的改变是对男性生育能力的持久影响。本研究为进一步研究铺平了道路，并强调了理解 COVID-19 对男性生殖健康的长期影响背后复杂分子过程的重要性。
