Levels of interferon-Γ and tumor necrosis factor-α in sera and cervical mucus of fertile and infertile women: implication in infertility

Pathogenic Consequences in Semen Quality of an Autoimmune Response against the Prostate Gland: From Animal Models to Human Disease

“…TNFR1 activation is associated with the activation of kinases and NF-B and the induction of apoptosis (38). Spermatozoa may be exposed to abnormal levels of TNF-␣ in the male reproductive tract or during their passage into the female reproductive tract in pathological conditions (39,40). Some researchers have demonstrated that exposing human spermatozoa to pathological concentrations of TNF-␣ and IFN-␥ can result in a significant loss of their functional and genomic integrity (41).…”

Mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos bear the two sub‐units of interferon‐gamma receptor

“…It has indeed been shown that i) IFNg secreted by both the decidual in¯ammatory cells and the developing embryo is one of the cytokines critical for maintenance of pregnancy (Hill, 1992;Haddad et al, 1997;Nasu et al, 1998;Ashkar and Croy, 1999), ii) IFNg is spontaneously and highly expressed by trophoblast cells of porcine blastocysts during the peri-implantation period (Lefevre et al, 1990;D'Andrea et al, 1994), iii) IFNg level is increased in genital tract secretions of infertile men and women (Anderson and Hill, 1988;Naz et al, 1995), as well as in sera of women exhibiting endometriosis and recurrent spontaneous abortions (Cameo et al, 1999;Jenkins et al, 2000), iv) IFNg is also expressed in testis where it exerts a paracrine action during spermatogenesis (Dejucq et al, 1995). At earlier developmental stages, IFNg increases the rate of embryonic cleavage of in vitro cultured C57BL/6 mouse preimplantation embryos by stimulating the expression of the preimplantation embryo development (Ped) gene, the product of which is the major histocompatibility class-I Qa-2 antigen (Warner et al, 1993;Xu et al, 1994;Wu et al, 1998).…”

Expression of alpha and gamma interferon receptors in the sperm cell

“…In contrast, administration of IFN-␣ enhances spermatogenesis in some infertile men increasing sperm number in the semen (Yamamoto and Miyake, 1994). Many infertile men (Naz et al, 1994) and infertile women (Naz et al, 1995) have enhanced levels of IFN-␥ in the genital tract secretions. Incubation of sperm with recombinant or native IFN-␣ and IFN-␥ in vitro has a deleterious effect on motility and fertilizing capacity, with higher concentrations causing a complete cytotoxic effect .…”

“…Administration of IFN-␣ to men having idiopathic infertility has been shown to enhance sperm production (Yamamoto and Miyake, 1994). IFN-␣ and IFN-␥ are expressed in the testis (Dejucq et al, 1995(Dejucq et al, , 1988 and infertile men (Anderson and Hill, 1988;c Daya and Clark, 1993;Naz et al, 1994) and infertile women (Naz et al, 1995) have increased levels of IFN-␥ in their genital tract secretions. Also, the IFNs have a deleterious effect on sperm motility and function, and preimplantation embryonic development in vitro (Anderson and Hill, 1988;.…”