Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Male infertility is a global concern because bacterial infections of the reproductive tract play a significant role. These infections trigger inflammatory responses that impair sperm quality. This study explored the relationship between bacterial semen infection, inflammatory biomarkers, and sperm dysfunction using PCR and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Semen samples were collected from 60 male participants attending the infertility clinics. Semen analysis was performed according to the WHO 2021 guidelines to assess concentration, motility, morphology, and viability. Bacterial DNA was isolated from the samples and screened by PCR targeting 16S rRNA genes to detect common seminal pathogens. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokine genes (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) were quantified using SYBR Green-based qPCR. Gene expression was normalized to that of GAPDH, which was used as a housekeeping gene. Correlations between bacterial presence, cytokine expression, and sperm parameters were analyzed. PCR revealed bacterial DNA in 40% of the semen samples, with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus being predominant. Samples positive for bacterial DNA showed significantly higher expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β (P < 0.01), indicating an inflammatory response. These elevated cytokine levels correlated with decreased sperm motility, viability, and morphological integrity (r > -0.6, p < 0.05). The study showed that bacterial infections in semen are associated with the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, contributing to sperm dysfunction. PCR and qPCR effectively detect the presence of bacteria and quantify inflammation at the molecular level. These findings underscore the need for molecular diagnostics for male infertility evaluation and highlight inflammatory biomarkers as potential therapeutic targets.
DOI: 10.14419/qwr5b132
Authors: Satyanarayan Samantaray, Soumya Jal, Gopal Krishna Purohit, Soumya Dash
Institution: Centurion University of Technology and Management
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4415916771
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