COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery
Introduction: COVID-19 exerts deleterious effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems, causing more severe disease in men than in women. However, cumulative reported data about the putative consequences on the male reproductive tract and fertility are co...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1220048/full |
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| author | María Sol Martinez Fernando Nicolás Ferreyra Daniela Andrea Paira Virginia Elena Rivero José Javier Olmedo Andrea Daniela Tissera Rosa Isabel Molina Rubén Darío Motrich |
| author_facet | María Sol Martinez Fernando Nicolás Ferreyra Daniela Andrea Paira Virginia Elena Rivero José Javier Olmedo Andrea Daniela Tissera Rosa Isabel Molina Rubén Darío Motrich |
| author_sort | María Sol Martinez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: COVID-19 exerts deleterious effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems, causing more severe disease in men than in women. However, cumulative reported data about the putative consequences on the male reproductive tract and fertility are controversial. Furthermore, the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are still uncertain.Methods: In this study, we prospectively evaluated levels of inflammatory cytokines and leukocytes in semen and sperm quality parameters in a cohort of 231 reproductive-aged male patients, unvaccinated, who had recovered from mild or severe COVID-19 and in 62 healthy control individuals. Sperm quality was assessed early (less than 3 months) and long (more than 3 and up to 6 months) after having COVID-19. Interestingly, and unlike most reported studies, available extensive background and baseline data on patients’ sperm quality allowed performing a more accurate analysis of COVID-19 effects on sperm quality.Results: Significantly higher levels of IL-1β, TNF and IFNγ were detected in semen from patients recently recovered from mild and/or severe COVID-19 with respect to control individuals indicating semen inflammation. Moreover, patients recovered from mild and/or severe COVID-19 showed significantly reduced semen volume, lower total sperm counts, and impaired sperm motility and viability. Interestingly, all observed alterations returned to baseline values after 3 or more months after disease recovery.Discussion: These results indicate that COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and impaired semen quality early after disease. However, long COVID-19 seems not to include long-term detrimental consequences on male fertility potential since the observed alterations were reversible after 1-2 spermatogenesis cycles. These data constitute compelling evidence allowing a better understanding of COVID-19 associated sequelae, fundamental for semen collection in assisted reproduction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:28:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b7e6b90653b4404b980a4bc44beed9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:28:08Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b7e6b90653b4404b980a4bc44beed9f2023-07-11T04:30:48ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2023-07-011410.3389/fphys.2023.12200481220048COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recoveryMaría Sol Martinez0Fernando Nicolás Ferreyra1Daniela Andrea Paira2Virginia Elena Rivero3José Javier Olmedo4Andrea Daniela Tissera5Rosa Isabel Molina6Rubén Darío Motrich7CIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, ArgentinaCIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, ArgentinaCIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, ArgentinaCIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, ArgentinaFundación Urológica Córdoba para la Docencia e Investigación Médica (FUCDIM), Córdoba, ArgentinaFundación Urológica Córdoba para la Docencia e Investigación Médica (FUCDIM), Córdoba, ArgentinaFundación Urológica Córdoba para la Docencia e Investigación Médica (FUCDIM), Córdoba, ArgentinaCIBICI-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, ArgentinaIntroduction: COVID-19 exerts deleterious effects on the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems, causing more severe disease in men than in women. However, cumulative reported data about the putative consequences on the male reproductive tract and fertility are controversial. Furthermore, the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection are still uncertain.Methods: In this study, we prospectively evaluated levels of inflammatory cytokines and leukocytes in semen and sperm quality parameters in a cohort of 231 reproductive-aged male patients, unvaccinated, who had recovered from mild or severe COVID-19 and in 62 healthy control individuals. Sperm quality was assessed early (less than 3 months) and long (more than 3 and up to 6 months) after having COVID-19. Interestingly, and unlike most reported studies, available extensive background and baseline data on patients’ sperm quality allowed performing a more accurate analysis of COVID-19 effects on sperm quality.Results: Significantly higher levels of IL-1β, TNF and IFNγ were detected in semen from patients recently recovered from mild and/or severe COVID-19 with respect to control individuals indicating semen inflammation. Moreover, patients recovered from mild and/or severe COVID-19 showed significantly reduced semen volume, lower total sperm counts, and impaired sperm motility and viability. Interestingly, all observed alterations returned to baseline values after 3 or more months after disease recovery.Discussion: These results indicate that COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and impaired semen quality early after disease. However, long COVID-19 seems not to include long-term detrimental consequences on male fertility potential since the observed alterations were reversible after 1-2 spermatogenesis cycles. These data constitute compelling evidence allowing a better understanding of COVID-19 associated sequelae, fundamental for semen collection in assisted reproduction.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1220048/fullCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2sperm qualityinflammationmale infertilitycytokine |
| spellingShingle | María Sol Martinez Fernando Nicolás Ferreyra Daniela Andrea Paira Virginia Elena Rivero José Javier Olmedo Andrea Daniela Tissera Rosa Isabel Molina Rubén Darío Motrich COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery Frontiers in Physiology COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 sperm quality inflammation male infertility cytokine |
| title | COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery |
| title_full | COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery |
| title_short | COVID-19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery |
| title_sort | covid 19 associates with semen inflammation and sperm quality impairment that reverses in the short term after disease recovery |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 sperm quality inflammation male infertility cytokine |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1220048/full |
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