ABSTRACT
Candida guilliermondii (C.g.) occurs mostly in animals, but it can affect humans too. Using serological screening methods studies have been carried out in 57 (30 normozoospermic and 27 oligozoospermic) asymptomatic infertile men, of whom 15 (26.3%; 9 oligozoospermic and 6 normozoospermic) were found to have responded to Candida guilliermondii var. guilliermondii. Sperm parameters (cell count, motility, morphology) were determined and various tests (hypo-osmotic swelling test, bovine mucus penetration, swim-up and testosterone examinations) were also performed. In the C.g.-infected and non-infected groups no significant difference was observed in any of the parameters. Precipitation was performed with a special antigen and in the positive group agglutination titres ranged from 0 to 1/320. Comparing C.g. titres with sperm parameters, only the swim-up technique showed noticeable alteration (P = 0.003). One month following ketoconazole treatment, the patients showed no precipitation reactions and their agglutination titres were < 1/80. Our results suggest that for the diagnosis of male infertility a serologic screening for C.g. is essential. As C.g. can also be sexually transmitted, both the husband and wife must be treated, if infection occurs.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Fungal/blood , Candidiasis/diagnosis , Infertility, Male/microbiology , Humans , Male , SpermatozoaABSTRACT
The sera of 263 women--217 infertile and 46 pregnant--were examined by various serological methods (precipitation test, agglutination, indirect immunofluorescence) to detect Candida guilliermondii var. guilliermondii (C.g.) infection. The precipitation reaction was performed with extracellular C. guilliermondii antigen, the agglutination reaction was employed parallel with C. albicans. In the infertile group 122 (56.2%) proved to be C.g. positive, while in the fertile 11 women (23.9%) proved to be so, the level of significance being p less than 0.0001 between the two groups. A one-month ketoconazole treatment (one tablet, 200 mg/day) was adequate for eliminating the C.g. infection. In a few cases hystological examinations were also performed according to Gomori-Grocott and yeast cells could be detected in the stroma of the ovary. IgA, IgG, IgM, Gc-globulin, transferrin and ferritin determinations were carried out before and after the ketoconazole treatment, and there were significant differences in the IgM and transferrin levels between the infected and non-infected groups. The authors achieved 5 pregnancies of 56 treated women in 6 months.
