The level of proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines in sperm plasma of fertile and infertile men

Abstract

The present study was carried out with the aim to evaluate the relation of the content of proinflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines with the sperm quality indicators. The study involved 45 patients with a pathological spermogram and 15 practically healthy men. A positive correlation (r = 0.45) between the content of IL-6 and the sperm concentration in the ejaculate and a negative correlation (r = -0.42) of this cytokine with the number of live sperm were revealed. The concentration of IL-8 was positively correlated with sperm density (r = 0.52) and it was negatively correlated with the number of live sperm (r = -0.55). A positive correlation between the content of IL-10 and the sperm concentration as well as the number of active forms was observed (r = 0.45 and 0.5, respectively), and a negative correlation (r = -0.7) was observed between the ejaculate volume and the concentration of IL-10. In the obtained ejaculates, a close positive correlation between the content of IL-8 and IL-6 (r = 0.74) and between the concentration of IL-10 and IL-6 (r = 0.72) was observed. Based on the completed study, a conclusion was made that the increased level of IL-6 and IL-8 may result in the reduction of the sperm quality, and possibly, infertility, and that IL-10 plays an important role in improving sperm parameters.