High-throughput sequencing of the testicular microbiome in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia and varicocele.

Abstract

Introduction. The male factor in infertile marriages accounts for about 50% of all cases, which is associated with changes in the characteristics of the ejaculate microbiota and directly correlates with changes in sperm parameters, including sperm count, motility, and morphology. Purpose of the work: to determine the presence of a correlation between the taxonomic diversity of the testicular microbiome and the urethral microbiome and its role in the development of infertility in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia against the background of existing varicose veins of the spermatic cord, using the new generation high-throughput sequencing (NGS) method. Materials and methods. From 2020 to 2022, we studied and analyzed the biological material of 11 infertile men with non-obstructive azoospermia and concomitant varicocele. The resulting material of 11 urethral swabs and 10 testicular tissue samples was prepared and taken for further study of the bacterial microbiome using the high-throughput NGS method. Results. Analysis of the studied clinical group clearly demonstrated that the testicular tissue of patients with azoospermia and concomitant varicocele has its own unique microbiome. This may indicate not only taxonomic diversity at the level of both phyla and reads, but also a high degree of significance of impaired function of the blood-testicular barrier (HTB). Сonclusions. The testicular tissue of infertile men with azoospermia and concomitant varicocele has a pronounced diversity of microbiota not only at the level of phyla, but also at the level of reads, which proves the importance of the testicular microbiota in the regulation of spermatogenesis, and also confirms the theory of the initial insufficiency of the hematotesticular barrier against the background of the existing varicose veins of the seminal cord.