Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on May 12, 2005
Human Reproduction 2005 20(9):2567-2572; doi:10.1093/humrep/dei073
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Reduced semen quality in chronic prostatitis patients that have cellular autoimmune response to prostate antigens
1 Inmunología, CIBICI – CONICET, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, 2 CIGOR, Centro Integral de Ginecología, Obstetricia y Reproducción, Córdoba and 3 FUCDIM, Fundación Urológica Córdoba para la Docencia e Investigación Médica, Córdoba, Argentina
4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Inmunología, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Haya de la Torre esquina Medina Allende, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina. Email: vrivero{at}bioclin.fcq.unc.edu.ar
BACKGROUND: The relationship between chronic prostatitis and fertility has been controversial for many years. We have previously shown the presence of a cellular autoimmune response against prostate antigens in a group of chronic prostatitis patients. Our main goal was to investigate whether chronic prostatitis (either caused by an infection or an autoimmune response to the prostate gland) could have a deleterious effect on semen quality. METHODS: Forty-four patients diagnosed as suffering from chronic prostatitis were included and divided into groups according to the presence of infection and/or cellular autoimmune response against prostate antigens. Healthy normal individuals were included as controls. Measurements for sperm concentration, motility, morphology, prostate and seminal vesicle markers, antisperm antibodies, white blood cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines were performed accordingly. RESULTS: The most severe abnormalities were seen in patients with no evident infection and an autoimmune response against prostate antigens. Moreover, significantly increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected in seminal plasma from these patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that chronic prostatitis patients with cellular autoimmune response to prostate antigens present important alterations in their semen quality parameters. We speculate that an autoimmune response against prostate antigens and the inflammatory process involved may affect male fertility.
Key words: autoimmunity/chronic prostatitis/cytokines/male infertility/semen quality
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