Effects of Infections with Five Sexually Transmitted Pathogens on Sperm Quality

Abstract

Five sexually transmitted pathogens, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium are the most prevalent viral or bacterial sexually transmitted pathogens worldwide. The infection of pathogens causes no or only mild symptoms in the majority of cases so that the characteristic is considered to induce high prevalence among people. The involvement of the infection of pathogens in the sperm quality is not currently clear and needs to be elucidated. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of the infection of HPV, C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum, M. hominis and M. genitalium in the semen of infertile couples and to clarify their association with the sperm quality. The specimens of semen were collected from 400 men who attended Cheil General Hospital and Women’s Healthcare Center for fertility evaluation. The infection rate of HPV, C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum, M. hominis and M. genitalium in the study participants was 1.57%, 0.79%, 16.80%, 4.46% and 1.31%, respectively. Both of high risk type (18, 31, and 56) HPV and low risk type (42, 84, and 91) HPV were detected. The rate of normal morphological normality in U. urealyticum-infected group was significantly lower than that in U. urealyticum non-infected group. In the subgroup analysis which is within normozoospermia, the semen volume and total sperm number in pathogen-infected group were significantly lower than those in pathogen non-infected group. To the best of my knowledge, this study is the first report evaluating the infection rate of five sexually transmitted pathogens, HPV, C. trachomatis, U. urealyticum, M. hominis and M. genitalium in the semen of Korean infertile couples and its correlation with the sperm quality. The results suggested that the infection of U. urealyticum significantly decreased the rate of normal sperm quality. In addition, the results of subgroup analysis within normozoospermia showed the significant impairment of sperm qualities in HPV, C. trachomatis, M. hominis and M. genitalium. These significant impairments of sperm quality are likely to be associated with male infertility.