OBJECTIVE: To explore potential causes of male infertility by determining the composition and structure of commensal bacterial communities in seminal fluids. DESIGN: Microscopy of Gram-stained semen samples and classification of 16S rRNA gene sequences to determine the species composition of semen bacterial communities. SETTING: Clinical andrology laboratory and academic research laboratories. PATIENT(S): Nineteen sperm donors and 58 infertility patients. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Classification of 16S rRNA gene sequences, clustering of seminal microbial communities, and multiple statistical tests. RESULT(S): High numbers of diverse kinds of bacteria were present in most samples of both sperm donors and infertility patients. The bacterial communities varied widely among subjects, but they could be clustered into six groups based on similarities in composition and the rank abundances of taxa. Overall, there were no significant differences between sperm donors and infertility patients. However, multiple statistical tests showed a significant negative association between sperm quality and the presence of Anaerococcus. The results also indicated that many of the bacterial taxa identified in semen also occur in the vaginal communities of some women, especially those with bacterial vaginosis, which suggests that heterosexual sex partners may share bacteria. CONCLUSION(S): Diverse kinds of bacteria were present in the human semen, but there were no significant differences between sperm donors and infertility patients. The presence of Anaerococcus might be a biomarker for low sperm quality.
OBJECTIVE: To explore potential causes of male infertility by determining the composition and structure of commensal bacterial communities in seminal fluids. DESIGN: Microscopy of Gram-stained semen samples and classification of 16S rRNA gene sequences to determine the species composition of semen bacterial communities. SETTING: Clinical andrology laboratory and academic research laboratories. PATIENT(S): Nineteen sperm donors and 58 infertilitypatients. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Classification of 16S rRNA gene sequences, clustering of seminal microbial communities, and multiple statistical tests. RESULT(S): High numbers of diverse kinds of bacteria were present in most samples of both sperm donors and infertilitypatients. The bacterial communities varied widely among subjects, but they could be clustered into six groups based on similarities in composition and the rank abundances of taxa. Overall, there were no significant differences between sperm donors and infertilitypatients. However, multiple statistical tests showed a significant negative association between sperm quality and the presence of Anaerococcus. The results also indicated that many of the bacterial taxa identified in semen also occur in the vaginal communities of some women, especially those with bacterial vaginosis, which suggests that heterosexual sex partners may share bacteria. CONCLUSION(S): Diverse kinds of bacteria were present in the human semen, but there were no significant differences between sperm donors and infertilitypatients. The presence of Anaerococcus might be a biomarker for low sperm quality.
Authors: Jacques Ravel; Pawel Gajer; Zaid Abdo; G Maria Schneider; Sara S K Koenig; Stacey L McCulle; Shara Karlebach; Reshma Gorle; Jennifer Russell; Carol O Tacket; Rebecca M Brotman; Catherine C Davis; Kevin Ault; Ligia Peralta; Larry J Forney Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2010-06-03 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Maria Antonia De Francesco; Riccardo Negrini; Giuseppe Ravizzola; Paola Galli; Nino Manca Journal: Eur J Contracept Reprod Health Care Date: 2010-11-23 Impact factor: 1.848
Authors: Alexander Swidsinski; Yvonne Dörffel; Vera Loening-Baucke; Werner Mendling; Hans Verstraelen; Stefan Dieterle; Johannes Schilling Journal: FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol Date: 2010-04-20
Authors: David E Nelson; Barbara Van Der Pol; Qunfeng Dong; Kashi V Revanna; Baochang Fan; Shraddha Easwaran; Erica Sodergren; George M Weinstock; Lixia Diao; J Dennis Fortenberry Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-11-24 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Lance B Price; Cindy M Liu; Kristine E Johnson; Maliha Aziz; Matthew K Lau; Jolene Bowers; Jacques Ravel; Paul S Keim; David Serwadda; Maria J Wawer; Ronald H Gray Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-01-06 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sergio Garcia-Segura; Javier Del Rey; Laia Closa; Iris Garcia-Martínez; Carlos Hobeich; Ana Belén Castel; Francisco Vidal; Jordi Benet; Jordi Ribas-Maynou; Maria Oliver-Bonet Journal: Front Cell Dev Biol Date: 2022-06-28
Authors: Erica M Lokken; Clayton Jisuvei; James P Hughes; Kishor Mandaliya; Lisa E Manhart; Khamis Mwinyikai; Charles H Muller; Walter Jaoko; John Kinuthia; R Scott McClelland Journal: Fertil Steril Date: 2022-01-17 Impact factor: 7.329