Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Aug;52(7):e13637.
doi: 10.1111/and.13637. Epub 2020 May 26.

Colonisation of the male reproductive tract in asymptomatic infertile men: Effects on semen quality

Ernesto Veiga  1 , Mercedes Treviño  2 , Ana B Romay  3   4 , Daniel Navarro  2 , Rocío Trastoy  2 , Manuel Macía  3
Affiliations

Colonisation of the male reproductive tract in asymptomatic infertile men: Effects on semen quality

Ernesto Veiga et al. Andrologia. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

The objective was to explore presence/detection of microorganisms in the male reproductive tract (PMMRT) in asymptomatic patients undergoing infertility treatment and their effects on semen quality in our region. This study enrolled 205 men (mean age, 35.9 years) in a single-centre, tertiary university hospital from December 2015 to December 2016. We used the modified Meares-Stamey test, real-time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) and the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Sympton Index (NHI-CPSI) questionnaire to address this issue. No patient met the prostatitis criteria by the modified Meares-Stamey 4-sample test, 33 (16.1%) were positive for rt-PCR in the first-voided urine for any of the Mycoplasma (Ureaplasma urealyticum/parvum, Mycoplasma hominis/genitalium) and C. trachomatis was detected in two cases (1%), and three for rt-PCR in semen for HPV high-risk genotypes non-16/18 (1.5%). Significant statistical differences were reported among patients with and without PMMRT in terms of lower rate of progressive spermatozoa (PR) (p < .034), total motile sperm count (p < .028), normal morphologic forms, especially in the sperm head (p < .001) and highest viscosity (p < .012). It was concluded that PMMRT, specially Mycoplasmas, in asymptomatic infertility men, affects semen quality. The NIH-CPSI questionnaire was not a valid initial screening to subsequently evaluate the presence of prostatitis/PMMRT.

Keywords: assisted reproduction; infertile men; infertility; microorganisms in the male reproductive tract; semen quality.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Abeysundara, P. K., Dissanayake, D., Wijesinghe, P. S., Perera, R., & Nishad, A. (2013). Efficacy of two sperm preparation techniques in reducing non-specific bacterial species from human semen. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 6, 152-157. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-1208.117169
    1. Askienazy-Elbhar, M. (2005). Male genital tract infection: The point of view of the bacteriologist. Gynecologie, Obstetrique and Fertilite, 33, 691-697.
    1. Baud, D., Pattaroni, C., Vulliemoz, N., Castella, V., Marsland, B. J., & Stojanov, M. (2019). Sperm microbiota and its impact on semen parameters. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10, 234. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00234
    1. Benelli, A., Hossain, H., Pilatz, A., & Weidner, W. (2017). Prostatitis and its management. European Urology Supplements, 16, 132-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eursup.2016.03.001
    1. Boeri, L., Pederzoli, F., Ventimiglia, E., Capogrosso, P., Cazzaniga, W., Frego, N., … Salonia, A. (2017). 582-Heavy cigarette smoking is the most detrimental factor for sperm DNA fragmentation - results of a cross-sectional study in primary infertile men. European Urology Supplements, 16, e1013. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1569-9056(17)30639-5