The impact of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on sperm parameters and male fertility: A comprehensive study.

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), an obligate intracellular bacterium, requires living cells to replicate. Half of men infected with CT are asymptomatic. CT infection can persist for up to four years within couples and affect their fertility. Chlamydia infection in men acts as a reservoir for transmission to women and can cause urinary tract inflammation, sperm DNA damage, and acute epididymitis. Semen samples from 1080 subfertile patients with normal and abnormal spermograms were examined to detect the presence of CT. An ELISA test was used to detect the presence of anti-CT IgA in these patients' seminal plasma. CT infection was also confirmed by molecular investigation using specific primers. In order to evaluate the effect of CT infections on the DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI), 40 CT-infected cases and 20 CT-negative controls were analyzed by a Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay using flow cytometry. Among 1080 patients with poor sperm parameters, 155 (14.3%) patients were diagnosed with CT, 11% among those with semen abnormalities and 26% among those without semen abnormalities patients. The DFI was statistically higher in cases than in controls (p < 0.05). Given the prevalence of infection and also the high frequency of asymptomatic CT infection among infertile individuals with poor sperm parameters, screening for infection in these patients is essential in order to avoid adverse sequelae. We propose that the higher rate of DFI in CT-infected infertile men might be an underlying cause of their infertility and this warrants greater attention.

Association of vitamin D status with semen quality and reproductive hormones in Iranian subfertile men.

Although vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common health problems throughout the world, including Iran, conflicting information exists on the potential association between serum vitamin D levels and semen quality. This study intended to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D [25(OH) D3] with semen quality and hormones in Iranian subfertile men. We also compared mean vitamin D and hormone levels in normospermic men with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) men. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 278 men who were referred to Royan Infertility Clinic (Tehran, Iran) from March to September 2014. The participants were categorized into two groups; of 186 normospermic and 92 OAT patients according to World Health Organization 2010 criteria. Each participant provided informed consent prior to launching research. Participants completed two general questionnaires of nutritional status. Blood and semen samples were obtained for assessment, and all data were adjusted for age, body mass index (BMI), and season. Vitamin D levels were classified according to Institute of Medicine guidelines. Vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and normal levels were observed in 8.6%, 43.6%, 47.8% of participants, respectively. No association was found between daily dietary intake of vitamin D and calcium with sperm parameters. Serum vitamin D was inversely correlated with PTH (p < 0.045). In normospermic men, serum vitamin D levels categorized were not correlated with semen parameters and reproductive hormones (FSH, LH, testosterone(T), and FT), whereas sperm motility showed a positive correlation with vitamin D categorized in OAT men (rs = 0.131, p = 0.028). In conclusion, there was a high incidence of deficiency and insufficiency 25(OH) D Levels (<20ng/ml) observed in Iranian men (52.2%). Moreover, our findings showed a correlation between vitamin D levels and sperm motility in OAT men, which requires further studies.

Evaluation of immunological interaction between spermatozoa and fallopian tube epithelial cells.

Toll-like receptors (TLR) are one of the major compartments of innate immune system. It was revealed that the TLR have relevance in ovulation, sperm capacitation and fertilisation. So, in this study, the expression of TLR, their adaptor molecules and cytokines in human fallopian tube cell line under the effect of human normal spermatozoa was evaluated. TLR mRNA and protein were evaluated in OE-E6/E7 cell line. Semen samples from 10 donors were collected and co-incubated with OE-E6/E7 cell line and used as sperm group, and cell line without spermatozoa was used as control group. Afterwards, the level of TLR, their adaptor molecule and cytokine mRNA expression was compared using qPCR in sperm and control groups, and supernatant was used for ELISA. To determine whether elevated cytokine reaction to spermatozoa in OE-E6/E7 cell line is mediated via TLR, TLR3 function-blocking antibody was used. OE-E6/E7 cell line expressed TLR1-6 genes and proteins. TLR expressions, especially TLR3 and TLR5, in OE-E6/E7 cell line under the effect of spermatozoa were significantly higher. Also, levels of adaptor molecules and cytokine production were increased in sperm group than in control group (P < 0.05). So, it may be hypothesised that TLR are essential for spermatozoa and fallopian tube immunological interaction and for preparing safe environment for important events in fallopian tube.

Sperm ubiquitination and DNA fragmentation in men with occupational exposure and varicocele.

Assessment of sperm ubiquitination and DNA fragmentation as sperm functional markers are proposed to complement routine semen analysis. This study focuses on the evaluation of these markers in infertile men with varicocele or exposed to occupational background. The results were compared with normozoospermic men. Semen parameters in both groups were lower than those in the control group. Ubiquitination median, as a marker for functionality of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, was also lower in both groups. The ubiquitination median showed a significant positive correlation with motility in both groups, while it showed only a negative correlation with sperm morphology in the varicocele group. DNA fragmentation showed a significant correlation with semen parameters, in total varicocele and also total exposure groups. In conclusion, significant difference of sperm ubiquitination between normal and study groups further validates that sperm ubiquitination as a potential molecular marker for sperm evaluation in addition to routine semen analysis in clinical laboratories.