Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Increased Prevalence of Leukocytes and Elevated Cytokine Levels in Semen from Schistosoma haematobium –Infected Individuals

2005; Oxford University Press; Volume: 191; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1086/429334

1537-6613

Peter Leutscher, Mette Ølgod Pedersen, C Raharisolo, Jørgen Skov Jensen, Steen Hoffmann, Ida Marie Lisse, Sisse Rye Ostrowski, Claus M. Reimert, Philippe Mauclère, Henrik Ullum,

Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health

In this study, we investigated the seminal inflammatory response to egg infestation of the urogenital organs in 240 semen-donating men aged 15–49 years living in a Schistosoma haematobium—endemic area of Madagascar. In 29 subjects (12%) with excretion of ⩾5 ova/ejaculate, leukocytospermia (>106 leukocytes/mL) and the presence of seminal lymphocytes and eosinophil leukocytes were each significantly more prevalent than in 74 subjects (31%) who were S. haematobium negative (P < .01). In addition, seminal levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-a were significantly higher among seminal egg-excreting subjects than among infection-negative subjects (P < .001). Sexually transmitted infection (STI) with Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, and/or Trichomonas vaginalis did not act as a confounding factor for the observed associations. At follow-up, 6 months after systematic antischistosomiasis and STI syndrome treatment at baseline, the prevalence of seminal leukocytes decreased significantly among the previously seminal egg—positive subjects. The same tendency was observed for the posttreatment levels of cytokines. Numerous studies have already shown an association between STI-associated genital inflammation and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) propagation. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that male urogenital schistosomiasis may constitute a risk factor for HIV transmission, as a result of egginduced inflammation in the semen-producing pelvic organs.