value of interleukin-8 assay in semen as an indicator of leukospermia

ABSTRACT

To determine if interleukin-8 [IL-8] is a normal constituent of seminal plasma and if leukospermia is a factor determining its elevation, semen samples were obtained from 34 infertile men with leukospermia, 27 infertile men without leukospermia, and 15 proven fertile men. The samples were analyzed for the determination of IL-8, myeloperoxidase activity and ceruloplasmin levels. The correlation of amount of IL-8 in seminal plasma with some spermiogram parameters and myeloperoxidase activity was statistically evaluated. The IL-8 levels in seminal plasma of infertile patients with leukospermia were significantly higher than those in seminal plasma of patients without leukospermia and of fertile men [p <0.001 for each]. The myeloperoxidase activity and ceruloplasmin levels in infertile men with leukospermia were significantly higher than those levels in semen of infertile patients without leukospermia and fertile men [p <0.001 for each]. A significant positive correlation [p <0.01] was also observed between the myeloperoxidase activity and IL-8 levels in semen of infertile patients with leukospermia. Thus, determination of IL-8 levels in semen can provide a useful information for the detection of leukospermia associated with infertility