Human Reproduction, Vol. 16, No. 3, 517-528,
March 2001
© 2001 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Relationship of seminal plasma interleukin (IL) -8 and IL-6 with semen quality*
1 Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Women's University Hospital, Heidelberg, 2 Department of Dermatology, Division of Andrology and STD, Heidelberg, 3 Department of Internal Medicine II, Klinikum Bad Homburg and 4 Department of Clinical Chemistry, Klinikum Mannheim, Germany
The concentration of interleukin (IL) -8 and IL-6 was determined in seminal plasma (SP) samples from 137 randomly chosen subfertile males to evaluate the relationship with other potential parameters of subclinical infection/inflammation such as seminal leukocytes, and with semen quality in a prospective study. All patients were asymptomatic for genital tract infection. A comprehensive semen evaluation included sperm analysis, sperm migration testing, antisperm antibody screening, immunocytochemical round cell differentiation to determine seminal leukocytes counts and the leukocyte ratio, complement fraction C3 (C3c) determination, and semen cultures, in aliquots of the same ejaculates. The SP concentration of IL-8 was inversely related to semen quality, e.g. to the total number of motile spermatozoa or to the outcome of the sperm migration test (motile sperm harvested after a swim-up procedure). IL-8 concentrations were significantly correlated with leukocyte counts per ml (P < 0.0001) and per ejaculate (P < 0.0001), and with the leukocyte ratio (P < 0.001). All leukocytospermic samples had high IL-8 concentrations (
2 ng/ml). The SP concentration of IL-6 was much lower, but was significantly correlated with IL-8 (P < 0.0001). Both IL-8 and IL-6 were significantly related with the C3c. No association of interleukin concentrations with the bacterial colonization of semen samples was found. The results indicate a marked relationship of some pro-inflammatory cytokines with semen quality. The significant association with seminal leukocytes and other potential inflammation markers suggests that IL-8 might be used as sensitive marker for silent male genital tract infection.
Key words: complement/interleukins/leukocytes/male fertility/semen quality
* Presented in part at the 14th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), Gothenburg, June 21–24, 1998
5 Present address: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Klinikum Ingolstadt, University of Heidelberg, Germany
6 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Women's Hospital, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 9, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
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