Ce. Depuydt et al., THE RELATION BETWEEN REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES AND CYTOKINES IN ANDROLOGICAL PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT MALE ACCESSORY-GLAND INFECTION, Journal of andrology, 17(6), 1996, pp. 699-707
The presence of various cytokines, namely hepatocyte growth factor (HG
F), interleukin-l receptor antagonist(ll-l RA), and interleukins (IL-1
alpha, IL-6, and IL-8), as well as the production of reactive oxygen
species (ROS) was investigated in seminal plasma of fertile and infert
ile patients in order to evaluate the possible value of measuring thes
e substances for the diagnosis of male accessory gland infection, and
to assess the possible relationship between oxidative stress and cytok
ines during leucocytospermia and male accessory gland infection (MAGI)
. Our findings indicate that all of the measured cytokines seem to be
produced locally as well as by white blood cells (WBC) and that, due t
o the presence of higher numbers of WBC, accessory gland infection may
exert a deleterious effect on sperm quality through the production of
ROS and/or of particular cytokines such as IL-1 alpha, IL-1 RA, and I
L-8. The most specific marker for a sensitivity of 95% in discriminati
ng between cases with or without MAGI is the measurement of IL-6 in se
minal plasma. In the absence of WBC several cytokines are constitutive
ly produced and correlate with sperm concentration (HGF, IL-8), alpha-
glucosidase (IL-6), and gamma-glutamyltransferase activity (HGF). The
measurement of these cytokines in semen may provide clinically useful
information for the diagnosis of male accessory gland infection, as we
ll as in the absence of WBC where it can provide information about cer
tain mechanisms of male reproductive function and dysfunction.