The role of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in male infertility (original) (raw)
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Possible role of Chlamydia trachomatis in the male partner of infertile couples
Comparative clinical pathology, 2012
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent sexually transmitted bacterial infection, with an estimated 92 million new cases occurring each year worldwide. The aim of the present study was to detect the microorganism from semen samples of asymptomatic male partners of infertile couples using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Semen and blood specimens were obtained from 93 infertile and 93 fertile men attending an infertility center by our diagnostic laboratory for the detection of C. trachomatis. The presence of C. trachomatis was examined by PCR assay. Serum IgG and IgA antibodies to C. trachomatis were also monitored using ELISA in all samples. The rates of C. trachomatis infection by PCR were 19.4% and 7.5% in infertile and fertile men, correspondingly, which was significantly different using χ 2 test (p00.01). The prevalence of IgG and IgA antibody levels were 4.3% and 2.2% (in infertile) and 3.2% and 1.1% (in fertile men), respectively. The present study showed a remarkable correlation between infections caused by C. trachomatis and infertility in men. Our data revealed that C. trachomatis caused a persistent infection among infertile couples.
Chlamydia trachomatis infection in male partners of infertile couples: incidence and sperm function
Andrologia, 2002
Chlamydia trachomatis infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. Its effect on male fertility, however, is still controversial. In this study, 284 male partners of infertile couples consulting the Center of Studies in Reproductive Biology (CEBRE) were analyzed. The incidence of C. trachomatis infection among male partners of infertile couples was 38.6%. There were no significant differences between infected and noninfected infertile men in any of the sperm parameters assessed (sperm concentration, motility and morphology). The results of the three bioassays developed to evaluate sperm physiology, namely spermatozoazona pellucida binding, acrosome reaction stimulated with human follicular fluid and zona-free hamster oocyte penetration, showed no differences between infected and noninfected men. Electron microscopy studies suggest that spermatozoa are active agents in the dissemination of the chlamydial infection; they could be acting as 'vehicles' for the pathogens. These, and other results, suggest that the possible effect of C. trachomatis on male fertility is not due to alterations in sperm 'quality' or function, but rather to the transmission of the disease to female partners, causing inflammatory processes and promoting the generation of antisperm antibodies.
Human Reproduction, 2004
BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among both men and women seeking help at an infertility clinic, and to prospectively follow the effect of previous infection on pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcome after a long follow-up period (mean 37 months). METHODS: A total of 244 infertile couples was tested for C. trachomatis IgG antibodies, and IgG + couples were also tested for C. trachomatis DNA by PCR in a ®rst-void urine sample. Study parameters were serology, PCR results, clinical diagnoses, treatments, pregnancy rates and pregnancy outcome. As controls, age-matched and spontaneously pregnant women were also tested with serology. RESULTS: The prevalence of IgG antibodies was 24.2, 20.1 and 15.6% among infertile women, infertile men and control women respectively. The prevalence of C. trachomatis DNA was 6.8 and 7.1% among tested women and men respectively. The presence of C. trachomatis IgG antibodies in women was related to tubal factor infertility (TFI) (P = 0.002). Decreased pregnancy rates were seen in couples where the man was IgG + (P = 0.005) with no relationship to TFI. Among women who achieved pregnancy, there was no difference in pregnancy outcome between IgG + or negative couples. CONCLUSIONS: C. trachomatis IgG antibodies in the man of the infertile couple was related to decreased pregnancy rates and to the presence of IgG antibodies in the woman. There was a high prevalence of asymptomatic persistent infections among infertile couples.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 1999
Background There is controversy over the role of asymptomatic genital tract infection by Chlamydia trachomatis, its optimal diagnosis, and its place in the etiology of male infertility. Objective Comparision of direct detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in semen with the presence of chlamydia-antibodies in seminal plasma and serum, together with parameters of the spermatogram, in men of infertile relationships. Study design Prospective clinical study. Setting University hospital tertiary referral center. Subjects and methods Two groups of consecutive andrological patients (n = 89 and n = 36) were investigated as follows: semen analysis, including concentration of granulocyte-elastase; detection of C. trachomatis in semen samples and first void urine by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antigen-ELISA (Celisa ®); detection of chlamydia antibodies in serum and seminal plasma by recombinant antibody-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (rELISA ®) and of Chlamydia trachomatis specific antibodies by the ImmunoComb ®-Chlamydia-Bivalent test. Results In 2/125 (1.6%) semen samples Chlamydia trachomatis DNA was detected by PCR. Genus specific anti-chlamydia-IgA was found in 12/122 (9%) of the seminal plasmas. This IgA appeared to be specific for C. trachomatis. Seminal plasmas with chlamydia-IgA antibodies showed higher PMN-elastase levels than IgA negative samples (P Ͻ 0.04). Chlamydia-IgG antibodies were present in 27/89 (30%) of the sera, but in only five of these 27 sera (19%) were the antibodies detected specific for C. trachomatis. There were no associations between any of these variables and the parameters of the routine semen analysis. Conclusion IgA-chlamydial antibodies in seminal plasma appeared to be specific against C. trachomatis and were associated with an inflammatory response in the male genital tract.
Tanzania Journal of Health Research, 2013
Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common cause of sexually transmitted diseases that is not of viral origin and there is accumulating evidence of a significant role played by this pathogen in causing male factor infertility. This study thus aimed to determine the prevalence of C. trachomatis among infertile males and to evaluate their association with fertility status and abnormal semen characteristics. This study included 215 infertile male subjects who visited a major fertility clinic in Warri, Delta state, Nigeria. Forty apparently healthy males without complaints of infertility were enrolled as controls. Blood samples were collected from patients aseptically using venous puncture and semen samples were obtained after masturbation. C. trachomatis IgG antibodies were assayed for in blood specimens using the Dot rapid Assay Kit flow through Ct cassette and positive samples were further screened with an enzyme immunoassay technique. Semen samples were analyzed following World Health Organization guidelines. Forty-two (19.5%) out of 215 infertile male subjects were found sero-positive for C. trachomatis. C. trachomatis was significantly associated with male infertility when compared to controls (P<0.001). Age groups 20-29 years (43.3%) and 30-39 years (22.1%) significantly had higher prevalence of C. trachomatis (P<0.001), as compared to age groups 40-49 (7.9%) and > 50 years (3.7%). Sero-positivity for C. trachomatis antibodies was significantly associated with oligozoospermia (22.5%) and azospermia (61.5%) than with teratozoospermia (7.3%) and asthenozoospermia (6.3%) (P<0.001). The prevalence of C. trachomatis among infertile males was high; there was an association between C. trachomatis infection and poor semen characteristics and infertility. There is need for routine screening for the pathogen in males with complaints of infertility so as to rule out this potentially correctable/reversible cause of infertility.
Effects of Chlamydia trachomatis Infection on Fertility; A Case-Control Study
Journal of reproduction & infertility, 2013
Nowadays, Chlamydia trachomatis is known as a causative agent of infertility. Because of, asymptomatic nature of infection, many may suffer from its lasting complications such as infertility. This study was performed in Tehran during April 2007 to April 2008 to compare the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in fertile and infertile women using ELISA and PCR methods. Overall, 234 infertile and 223 pregnant women, as the fertile group, participated in this hospital-based case-control study. After completing an informed consent form and the questionnaire, first catch urine and blood sample were obtained for PCR and ELISA (IgG, IgM) tests, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was used to control possible confounding factors, and determine adjusted odds ratio of infertility due to the infection. PCR results revealed that 29 (12.4%) of the infertile and 19 (8.5%) of the fertile women were positive for C. trachomatis infection (p = 0.440). IgG was positive in 21 (9.0%) of ...
Chlamydial Infection and Its Role in Male Infertility
Advances in Andrology, 2014
Introduction.Chlamydia trachomatisis an established cause of tubal factor infertility; however its role in male fertility is not as clear. We sought to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia in infertile men and evaluate its impact on male reproductive potential.Materials and Methods. We compared the incidence of Chlamydia in our infertile male population with that reported in the literature. We then reviewed the impact of Chlamydia infection on male fertility.Results. The incidence of Chlamydia infection in our population of infertile men was 0.3%. There is considerable variability in the reported incidence, likely due to variation in the population studied, and detection technique. The optimal testing method and sample are presently unclear. The effect of Chlamydia on male reproductive function is also variable in the literature, but appears to be relatively minimal and may be related primarily to sperm DNA fragmentation or female partner transmission.Conclusions. The prevalence of...
Malaysian Journal of Microbiology, 2010
The role of Chlamydia trachomatis in the pathogenesis of Pelvic inflammatory disease and majority of cases of salpinigitis are well acknowledged in women. A total of 213 sera from infertile women were tested for antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis by using an indirect solid phases enzyme Immuno absorbent commercial ELISA test. Women with confirmed Hysterosalpinographic report suggesting tubal occlusion (tubal factor infertility) had 92 (43.2%) followed by 63 (29.6%) infertile women with infertile male partner and 58 (27.2%) were having unexplained infertility. Out of the tubal factor (TF) infertile women 40 (18.8%) were seropositive for Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies, as against 19 (8.9%) in the group of women with normal patent tubes and 10 (4.6%) women with infertile male partner. In this study there was a statistical significant correlation between the infertile women with tubal factor infertility in relation to seroevidence of Chlamydia trachomatis infection with p<0.05. There was no age bias in the serodetection of Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies. The seropositivity of Chlamydia trachomatis is an indication that the organism may be an independent risk factor in the development of an inflammatory process leading to scaring of the uterine tubes in women and thereby causing infertility.