PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES IN SEMINAL PLASMA AND BLOOD OF MEN WITH INFERTILITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/1811-2471.2022.v.i4.13345Keywords:
idiopathic male infertility, rheumatoid arthritis, interleukins, seminal plasma, blood serumAbstract
SUMMARY. In approximately 50 % of cases, infertility of married couples is associated with the male factor. Male infertility without an established history and normal sperm analysis is called «idiopathic infertility». There is more and more data on the connection between infertility and autoimmune pathologies, in particular, rheumatoid arthritis. Regulation of male reproductive function is multilevel, involving both the endocrine and immune systems. The mechanisms of formation of male infertility are more and more often found to be immune-dependent. In addition to hormones, cytokines play an equally important role in the regulation of spermatogenesis.
The aim – to study the role of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in seminal plasma and blood serum, to clarify their role in spermatogenesis.
Material and Methods. 61 infertile men aged 22–48 were examined, who were conditionally divided into 2 groups: 1 group – 28 men with a systemic autoimmune disease – rheumatoid arthritis (RA); 2 group – 33 somatically healthy patients with idiopathic infertility. The control group included 27 fertile healthy men representative by their age. Ejaculate analysis was performed in accordance with WHO recommendations (2010). Determinations of the concentration of cytokines in blood serum and seminal fluid were carried out by the immunoenzymatic method.
Results. In patients with autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis) the highest rate of leukocytospermia was observed, indicating a possible long-term inflammatory process. When examining patients with autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis, asthenozoospermia was found in 35.72 % of patients, leucospermia in 64.28 %.
In of both research groups of infertile men, the quantitative indicator of leukocytes in the sperm probably exceeded the indicators of the control group. In patients with autoimmune joint pathology, the concentration of TGF-β1 was reduced compared to the control group, which could contribute to the increase of the inflammatory process. Simultaneously, the level of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 increased by an average of 2.52 times. A 1.69 – fold decrease in IL-1β content was also recorded. An increase of the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, IFN-γ in 1.4–2.4 times was also found at idiopathic infertility.
Conclusions. The functioning of the immune and reproductive systems of the male body is closely related and interdependent. Immune response disorders accompanying the development of autoimmune joint pathology are associated with male reproductive function disorders. The close connection between violations of semiological indicators and changes of pro-inflammatory cytokines in organisms of men with idiopathic infertility convincingly proves the immune genesis of this disease.
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