Survey on the Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infections and Their Possible Effects on Seminal Quality in Infertile Men (original) (raw)
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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.
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.
Journal of Andrology, 2012
This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis, mycoplasmas, and ureaplasmas in semen samples of infertile compared with fertile men and to evaluate the seminological variables of semen from infected and noninfected men. A total of 127 infertile and 188 fertile men seen in a maternity hospital clinic were recruited into the study over a period of 14 months. Specimens were obtained by masturbation and examined for the presence of Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and C trachomatis by polymerase chain reaction. Semen analysis was performed according to World Health Organization guidelines. U urealyticum, M hominis, M genitalium, and C trachomatis were demonstrated in the semen samples of 31 (24.4%) vs 49 (26.1%), 22 (17.1%) vs 61 (32.4%), 6 (4.7%) vs 6 (3.2%), and 5 (3.9%) vs 7 (3.7%), respectively, of infertile and control men. Mixed infections were detected in 14 (11%) of infertile and 29 (15.4%) of fertile men. The infertile men positive for M hominis had semen samples that showed statistically significant differences in the mean of sperm pH and leukocyte count between infected and uninfected men (P , .03 and P , .001, respectively). Similarly, there was statistically significant difference in the leukocyte counts of M genitalium and C trachomatis in infected compared with uninfected men. A similar trend was noted in infected fertile compared with uninfected men. The difference in prevalence of these urogenital pathogens among infertile compared with fertile men was not statistically significant. However, genital mycoplasmas and chlamydial infections appeared to influence semen quality negatively.
International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine
Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) with damaging effects on sperm quality parameters can often cause infertility in men. Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and enzyme linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) for screening and detecting CT in semen samples of infertile men. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 465 men referring to the clinical laboratory of Royan Institute were chosen for primary screening and detection of the presence of CT. 93 samples were normozoospermia with normal sperm parameters i.e. sperm number, motility and morphology (Asymptomatic) and 372 had abnormal sperm parameters (Symptomatic) in semen analysis. ELISA test was performed as the screening test. Samples with optical density (OD) >0.200 were selected as the case and asymptomatic samples with OD <0.200 were selected as the control group for the confirmatory test. PCR assay was used to confirm the serological results. Results: In the case groups (n=62), 4 out of 32 symptomatic samples (12.5%), and 1 out of 30 asymptomatic samples (3.3%) revealed positive results in PCR. No PCR positive sample was observed in the control group (n=34). The final results revealed that considering OD >0.400 as the ELISA positive, the diagnostic value of CT-ELISA positive in symptomatic and asymptomatic infertile patients were 0.019 (7 of 372) and 0.021 (2 of 93), respectively. There was no relationship between the presence of CT infection and different sperm abnormalities. Conclusion: The anti-CT IgA ELISA test may be introduced as an appropriate tool for screening purpose in the seminal plasma to select suspicious samples for PCR confirmatory tests.
Advances in Microbiology, 2015
Chlamydial and gonococcal infections are recognized as two of the major causes of sexually transmissible human bacterial infection which may lead to infertility. In this cross sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis among Egyptian women using different microbiological methods. One hundred and fifty cervical swabs were collected, of which 100 were from infertile women. Culture and ELISA technique were used for screening of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis individually. In addition, PCR was used for all examined samples. For C. trachomatis, 3 cases were positive for antigen detection by ELISA. Moreover, in obtained results of PCR, DNA was detected in 4 samples, and three of them from infertile group. So based on PCR results, the sensitivity and specificity of ELISA were 75% and 100% respectively. Furthermore, 3 samples were positive for gonococcal infections by PCR, and two of them were taken from infertile women. Positive results of two samples were verified by culture. The estimated sensitivity and specificity of culture method were 66.7% and 100% respectively. Results of this study indicate that PCR is a valuable method for detection of gonococcal and chlamydial infection and it is suitable for the confirmation of ELISA results for C. trachomatis diagnosis. Culture method is less sensitive than PCR for detection of N. gonorrhoeae. The prevalence of such infections is higher among infertile women.
High Prevalence of Chlamydia Trachomatis in the Sperm of Males with Low Sperm Count in Nigeria
Journal of Medical Microbiology & Diagnosis, 2012
Background: Chlamydia trachomatis has been linked with female infertility in male infertility and sequelae especially in developing countries which is the rationale for this study. This study view Chlamydia trachomatis as causing low sperm count in males which is a factor of male fertility. Methods: A total of 666 sperm samples were collected from males with low sperm count and another 666 from normal individuals to serve as control. Blood samples (n=855) were collected from cases and control. The sperm samples were analysed using the WHO parameters of 2010. Sperm samples were stained using the Giemsa technique. Sperm were analysed for Chlamydia trachomatis using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The presence of other microorganisms likely to be incriminated with low sperm count was detected by culture unto nutrient agar plates, blood agar plates and Thayer Martins medium. Any sample containing any microorganism capable of causing low sperm count was eliminated from the study. The blood samples were analysed using the microimmunofluorescence assay for Chlamydia trachomatis IgM. Results: Of the 666 cases only 417(62.6%) were positive while the control had only 225 (33.3) positive. There was significant difference between the cases and control and they both varied in the same direction statistically. The result from the IgM Chlamydia trachomatis antibody also gave a significant difference in both cases and control. The variation between ages was not significant except in older ages of both cases and control. The 582 semen samples positive for both Chlamydia trachomatis culture and IgM analysed for WHO sperm count parameters, 432 of the cases fell short of the normal sperm count along with 150 of the controls. Conclusion: This study then confirms Chlamydia trachomatis as a major cause of low sperm count and recommends the screening for Chlamydia trachomatis in cases of low sperm counts.
2013
The aim of this study was to detect Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum from semen samples of infertile men by Multiplex PCR and investigation of influence of bacteriospermia on semen parameters. Methods: Semen samples of 200 infertile men were evaluated by Multiplex PCR. In addition, analysis of semen parameters was performed according to the WHO guidelines. Results: All the patients were without clinical symptoms of urogenital tract infection. Thirty three percent of cases showed at least one bacterium. We found a noticeable relation between the presence of bacteriospermia and the rate of non motile and morphologically abnormal sperms (P< 0.0001). In addition, sperm concentration was lower in positive cases (P< 0.04). There was no relation between leukocytospermia and bacteriospermia (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Asymptomatic existence of Chlamydia and Mycoplasmas in urogenital tracts might play an important role in sperm impairment due to infertility. Bacteriospermia can influence sperm's motility, morphology and concentration.
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.