Effects of leukocyte elastase in semen on sperm quality

Abstract

The study analyzed the effect of leukocyte elastase (LE) in 460 semen on sperm quality, and explore the reference interval of normal level of LE in semen. The differences of LE levels between normal semen and few, weak and abnormal semen were analyzed. Referring to domestic standards, the samples were divided into normal group (LE ≤ 250 ng/mL), occult infection (250 < LE ≤ 1000 ng/mL), and infection group (LE > 1000 ng/mL), and the differences in semen quality among the groups were compared. According to European standards, the samples were divided into normal group (≤600 ng/mL) and abnormal group (>600 ng/mL), and the differences in semen quality between the 2 groups were compared. The correlation between LE levels in semen and semen quality were analyzed. The positive rates of LE in the normal semen group and abnormal semen groups were 30.7% versus 34.7%, and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > .05). When the semen divided into 3 groups, there was no significant difference between the physicochemical parameters, kinetic parameters, movement trajectory parameters, morphological parameters, and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) (P > .05). There were significant differences in sperm morphology and sperm DFI between the two groups at 600 ng/mL (P < .05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the level of LE in semen and physicochemical parameters, sperm kinetic parameters, sperm movement trajectory parameters, sperm morphological parameters, and sperm DFI (P > .05). It is appropriate to use 600 ng/mL as the threshold for the concentration of LE in semen; the correlation between the level of LE and sperm quality is not significant.

Figure 1.

Comparison of i.e. (>600 ng/mL) between the different semen. The positive rate of LE in normal group is 30.7%, and in abnormal group is 34.7% (P < .05). LE = leukocyte elastase.