Relationship of interleukin-6 with semen characteristics and oxidative stress in patients with varicocele

Relationship between substances in seminal plasma and Acrobeads Test∗ results

“…Interleukin-6 in seminal plasma seems to be derived mainly from the prostate gland (23). In patients with varicocele or male accessory gland infection, levels of IL-6 in seminal plasma are elevated (24). The inverse relationship of IL-6 with sperm concentration and motility has been observed in infertile men (25).…”

Varicocele repair: does it still have a role in infertility treatment?

“…In relation to elevated ROS levels, varicocele is also associated with decreased ability to resist oxidative stress as measured by the levels of total antioxidant capacity [11]. More recently, Nallella et al [12] not only confirmed that patients with varicocele have elevated ROS levels and decreased total antioxidant capacity but also described elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in these patients and associated it with the elevated ROS levels.…”

DNA damage and chromosomal aberrations in various types of male factor infertility

“…They concluded, in agreement with other studies, that asthenozoospermic men were more prone to these damaging parameters compared with normozoospermic infertile men, who in turn presented an increased level of cytogenetic damage compared with fertile men (10,11). Other studies reported that infertile men with varicocele seem to present increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in semen and in the spermatic vein and consequently elevated levels of DNA damage, apoptosis, and, hence, malfunctions in spermatogenesis (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18).…”