Chlamydia trachomatis infection of the male genital tract. Assessment of infection prevalence, urogenital inflammation and sperm quality.

PAIRA, DANIELA A.; MOLINA, ROSA I.; SAKA, HÉCTOR ALEX; SILVERA-RUIZ, SILENE M.; OLMEDO, JOSE J.; MOTRICH, RUBEN D.; OLIVERA, CAROLINA; TISSERA, ANDREA D.; RIVERO, VIRGINIA E.

Congreso; REUNIÓN DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS 2020; 2020

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most common sexually bacterial transmitted infection worldwide. Although CT urogenital infection and associated pathology in females has been widely described, the study of CT male urogenital infection has been neglected. Herein, we analyzed the prevalence of CT infection of the male genital tract (MGT), seminal levels of inflammatory biomarkers and sperm quality in male patients attending an Andrology clinic.Semen samples were collected from 107 patients with symptoms of urogenital infection/inflammation or possible infertility. Assessments: uropathogens infections (PCR), spermiograms, leukocytospermia, leukocyte subpopulations (FACS), ROS and inflammatory cytokines seminal levels. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA.CT infection was detected in 41/107 patients revealing a striking prevalence of 38.3%. Either CT mono-infection (26/41) or co-infection with other uropathogens (15/41) was not associated to significant alterations in semen quality (p˃0.05). When classifying patients according to inflammatory biomarkers levels, 50% (13/26) of CT-infected patients showed increased seminal levels of inflammatory cytokines, leukocytospermia and reduced levels of morphologically normal sperm (p