Rui-Yu Han1, Jing Ma1, Jiao-Ying Ma1, Xu-Chu Wang2, Xin-Tao An3, Zi-Dong Zhang4, Shu-Song Wang1. 1. Key Laboratory for Family Planning and Healthy Birth, National Health and Family Planning Commission / Hebei Research Institute for Family Planning (Center of Reproductive Medicine of Hebei Province), Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050071, China. 2. Department of Reproductive Medicine, Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Cangzhou, Hebei 061001, China. 3. Department of Reproductive Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Hengshui Health School, Hengshui, Hebei 053000, China. 4. Department of Andrology, Hengshui Second Hospital, Hengshui, Hebei 053000, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of inflammatory factors on semen parameters in the seminal plasma of obese men. METHODS: Based on the body mass index (BMI), 171 males were divided into a normal group (BMI < 24 kg/m2, n = 59), an overweight group (24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2, n = 54), and an obesity group (BMI =≥ 28 kg/m2, n = 58). The routine semen parameters of the subjects were obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and VEGF in the seminal plasma were measured by ELISA, and the correlation of BMI with the above indexes was analyzed. RESULTS: Sperm concentration was significantly decreased in the obesity group in comparison with the normal and overweight groups (［40.19 ± 24.05］ vs ［66.54 ± 34.81］ and ［57.73 ± 24.61］ ×10⁶/ml, P <0.01), and so was the total number of sperm (［110.22 ± 75.44］ vs ［200.75 ± 102.66］ and ［157.46 ± 112.89］ ×106, P <0.01) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (［30.80 ± 15.56］ vs ［50.75 ± 10.17］ and ［39.71 ± 9.73］%, P <0.01). The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the seminal plasma were markedly elevated in the obesity group as compared with the normal and overweight groups (［76.90 ± 14.64］ vs ［64.47 ± 11.92］ and ［69.74 ± 12.32］ pg/ml, P <0.05; ［54.17 ± 17.81］ vs ［39.26 ± 9.09］ and ［46.25 ± 13.66］ pg/ml, P <0.01), while that of VEGF remarkably reduced in the former group in comparison with the latter two (［154.24 ± 30.23］ vs ［199.23 ± 36.28］ and ［181.57 ± 34.41］ pg/ml, P <0.01). The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and VEGF were significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0.254, 0.321 and －0.407, P <0.01), those of TNF-α and IL-6 negatively with the percentage of PMS (r =－0.163, P <0.05; r = －0.333, P <0.01). There was a positive correlation between TNF-α and IL-6 (r = 0.468, P <0.01), a negative correlation between IL-6 and VEGF (r = 0.177, P <0.05), but no correlation between TNF-α and VEGF (r = 0.058, P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 are increased and that of VEGF decreased in the seminal plasma of obese males, which may affect the semen quality.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of inflammatory factors on semen parameters in the seminal plasma of obese men. METHODS: Based on the body mass index (BMI), 171 males were divided into a normal group (BMI < 24 kg/m2, n = 59), an overweight group (24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2, n = 54), and an obesity group (BMI =≥ 28 kg/m2, n = 58). The routine semen parameters of the subjects were obtained by computer-assisted semen analysis, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and VEGF in the seminal plasma were measured by ELISA, and the correlation of BMI with the above indexes was analyzed. RESULTS: Sperm concentration was significantly decreased in the obesity group in comparison with the normal and overweight groups (［40.19 ± 24.05］ vs ［66.54 ± 34.81］ and ［57.73 ± 24.61］ ×10⁶/ml, P <0.01), and so was the total number of sperm (［110.22 ± 75.44］ vs ［200.75 ± 102.66］ and ［157.46 ± 112.89］ ×106, P <0.01) and the percentage of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (［30.80 ± 15.56］ vs ［50.75 ± 10.17］ and ［39.71 ± 9.73］%, P <0.01). The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the seminal plasma were markedly elevated in the obesity group as compared with the normal and overweight groups (［76.90 ± 14.64］ vs ［64.47 ± 11.92］ and ［69.74 ± 12.32］ pg/ml, P <0.05; ［54.17 ± 17.81］ vs ［39.26 ± 9.09］ and ［46.25 ± 13.66］ pg/ml, P <0.01), while that of VEGF remarkably reduced in the former group in comparison with the latter two (［154.24 ± 30.23］ vs ［199.23 ± 36.28］ and ［181.57 ± 34.41］ pg/ml, P <0.01). The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and VEGF were significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0.254, 0.321 and －0.407, P <0.01), those of TNF-α and IL-6 negatively with the percentage of PMS (r =－0.163, P <0.05; r = －0.333, P <0.01). There was a positive correlation between TNF-α and IL-6 (r = 0.468, P <0.01), a negative correlation between IL-6 and VEGF (r = 0.177, P <0.05), but no correlation between TNF-α and VEGF (r = 0.058, P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 are increased and that of VEGF decreased in the seminal plasma of obese males, which may affect the semen quality.
Entities:
Keywords:
body mass index; correlation analysiszzm321990zzm321990 ; interleukin; semen parameters; tumor necrosis factor-α ; vascular endothelial growth factor; obesity