Mahmodi Mohamad Javad, Shatizadeh Malekshahi Somayeh, Soltanghoraee Haleh
Department of Virology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
BMC Infect Dis. 2025 Jan 3;25(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-10421-0.
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) primarily acquired through sexual contact. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time reported the association of STIs with male infertility. Infertility is described as the inability to achieve a clinical pregnancy after engaging in regular, unprotected sexual intercourse for a year or more. HSV-2 infection is a significant concern for infertility, with evidence suggesting it can contribute to a range of reproductive complications. The seroprevalence of HSV-2 among infertile men in Iran has not yet been determined. Therefore, we conducted a case-control study to examine the seroprevalence of HSV-2 in multiple subgroups of infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters (Case) and individuals seeking sex selection services and those with normal sperm parameters (Control).
Blood samples were collected from infertile males seeking fertility treatment, and those seeking sex selection at the Avicenna Infertility Clinic in Tehran, Iran between July 2023 and February 2024. Demographic and clinical data were collected through a questionnaire. Anti-HSV-2 IgG antibodies (Abs) were detected using a commercially available ELISA kit [Herpes simplex 2 (gG2 purified), Vircell, Spain].
Of the 486 samples that met the eligibility criteria, 420 were tested. The ELISA testing was performed on 98 control, 32 Teratozoospermia (T), 45 Asthenozoospermia (A), 48 Oligoteratozoospermia (OTA), 50 Azoospermia (Azo), and 147 Teratozooasthenospermia (TA) samples. Thirteen samples came out positive for HSV-2 IgG Abs (3.41% case and 2.04% control group). Of these 13 positive samples, 7 were from the TA group, 2 from the T group, 2 from the Azo group, and 2 control. The age (43.15 ± 5.10 vs. 37.74 ± 6.20, p = 0·0020) and marriage duration (12.54 ± 6.88 vs. 8.12 ± 4.95, p = 0·0019) were significantly higher in the HSV-2 IgG Ab positive group.
The results of this study enhance our understanding of the epidemiology of HSV-2 in individuals seeking infertility treatment. It can be inferred that the seroprevalence of HSV-2 IgG among patients referring to an infertility treatment clinic in Tehran is relatively low. The study also indicates that the chance of HSV-2 infection increases with age. The highest number of positive cases in the TA suggests that HSV-2 may adversely affect sperm motility and morphology.
2型单纯疱疹病毒（HSV-2）是一种常见的性传播感染（STI），主要通过性接触获得。2000年，世界卫生组织（WHO）首次报告了性传播感染与男性不育的关联。不育被定义为在规律、无保护的性交一年或更长时间后无法实现临床妊娠。HSV-2感染是不育的一个重要问题，有证据表明它可导致一系列生殖并发症。伊朗不育男性中HSV-2的血清流行率尚未确定。因此，我们进行了一项病例对照研究，以检查精子参数异常的不育男性多个亚组（病例组）以及寻求性别选择服务者和精子参数正常者（对照组）中HSV-2的血清流行率。
2023年7月至2024年2月期间，从伊朗德黑兰伊本·西那不孕不育诊所寻求生育治疗的不育男性以及寻求性别选择者中采集血样。通过问卷收集人口统计学和临床数据。使用市售ELISA试剂盒[单纯疱疹2型（gG2纯化），Vircell，西班牙]检测抗HSV-2 IgG抗体（Abs）。
在符合纳入标准的486份样本中，420份进行了检测。对98份对照、3份严重少精子症（T）、45份弱精子症（A）、48份少弱畸精子症（OTA）、50份无精子症（Azo）和147份弱畸精子症（TA）样本进行了ELISA检测。13份样本HSV-2 IgG Abs检测呈阳性（病例组为3.41%，对照组为2.04%）。在这13份阳性样本中，7份来自TA组，2份来自T组，2份来自Azo组，2份为对照。HSV-2 IgG Ab阳性组的年龄（43.15±5.10 vs. 37.74±6.20，p = 0.0020）和婚姻持续时间（12.54±6.88 vs. 8.12±4.95，p = 0.0019）显著更高。
本研究结果增进了我们对寻求不育治疗者中HSV-2流行病学情况的了解。可以推断，前往德黑兰一家不育治疗诊所就诊的患者中HSV-2 IgG的血清流行率相对较低。该研究还表明，HSV-2感染的几率随年龄增加而升高。TA组中阳性病例数最多，提示HSV-2可能对精子活力和形态产生不利影响。
