Ultrasonographic and clinical correlates of seminal plasma interleukin-8 levels in patients attending an andrology clinic for infertility

Abstract

This study was aimed at evaluating the association between seminal plasma interleukin-8 (sIL-8) and colour-Doppler ultrasound (CDU) characteristics of the male genital tract in a series of patients fulfilling the criteria of male accessory gland infections (MAGI). Of 250 subjects seeking medical care for couple infertility, 79 (mean age: 36.4 ± 7.5 years) met the criteria of MAGI and scored higher than the rest of the sample on the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index score. All patients underwent simultaneous hormone evaluation and seminal analysis (including sIL-8), along with scrotal and transrectal CDU before and after ejaculation. After adjusting for age, sIL-8 in patients with MAGI was significantly related to several abnormal semen and CDU parameters. In particular, leucocytospermia was closely associated with sIL-8. Ejaculate volume, unlike other semen or hormonal parameters, was negatively associated with sIL-8. When scrotal CDU was performed, sIL-8 was positively related to CDU inhomogeneous, hypo-echoic, hyper-echoic epididymis and to epididymal calcifications. In addition, a positive correlation among sIL-8, hyperaemic epididymis and an increased size of epididymal tail was found. When transrectal CDU was performed, an association among sIL-8 and hyper-echoic seminal vesicles, dilated ejaculatory ducts and duct calcifications was also observed. Finally, sIL-8 was positively related to prostate CDU abnormalities such as calcifications, inhomogeneous/hypo-echoic texture, hyperaemia and high arterial blood flow. No association was found with testis parameters. In conclusion, sIL-8 levels in patients with MAGI are associated with several parameters and CDU abnormalities of epididymis, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory ducts and prostate, but not of the testis. Furthermore, sIL-8 positively correlates with CDU signs of ejaculatory duct inflammatory subobstruction.

Mechanisms of the harmful effects of bacterial semen infection on ejaculated human spermatozoa: potential inflammatory markers in semen

“…However, the harmful effect of cytokines on sperm membranes appears to be closely associated with the accompanying leukocytospermia. This has been confirmed by numerous reports that have documented correlations between seminal leukocyte count and proinflammatory cytokine concentrations [140,[143][144][145][146][147][148]. Also in our own in vitro observations, the peroxidative damage of sperm membrane lipids was markedly enhanced in the simultaneous presence of cytokines and leukocytes [149].…”

Seminal, ultrasound and psychobiological parameters correlate with metabolic syndrome in male members of infertile couples

“…Scrotal CDU was performed in various longitudinal, transverse and oblique scans (Behre et al, 1995;Vicari, 1999;Lotti et al, 2011Lotti et al, , 2012) using a 7.5 MHz high-frequency linear probe (L54M 6-13 MHz, Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Testicular and epididymal CDU features were examined according to previous studies (Behre et al, 1995;Vicari, 1999 Lotti et al, 2011Lotti et al, , 2012Migaleddu et al, 2012).…”

Factors affecting spermatogenesis upon gonadotropin‐replacement therapy: a meta‐analytic study

“…Male factors account for approximately half of the cases seeking medical care for infertility (Krausz, 2011;Lotti et al, 2011;Anawalt, 2013). Irrespectively of the aetiology, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HHG) is one of the few causes of male infertility that can benefit from medical therapy.…”