J Appl Biomed 15:139-145, 2017 | DOI: 10.1016/j.jab.2016.11.004

Antibiotic treatment of asymptomatic Ureaplasma infection improves semen parameters in infertile men

Mohammad Hossein Ahmadia, Akbar Mirsalehiana,*, Mohammad Ali Sadighi Gilanib,c,*, Abbas Bahadora, Malihe Talebid, Reza Salman Yazdib
a Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
b Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
c Department of Urology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
d Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

The role of asymptomatic infections caused by Ureaplasma species in male infertility and the efficacy of antibiotics in treatment of this failure is not yet definitely determined. A total of 165 infertile males having abnormal semen parameters (study group) as well as 165 healthy fertile men (control group) were included in this study. Semen samples were taken from all participants and after analyzing, undergone real-time PCR, microbial culture, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as total antioxidant capacity (TAC) assays. Infected individuals of study group were treated with antibiotic. One month after the treatment completion, second semen samples were taken and undergone all the tests mentioned. The frequency of Ureaplasma spp. was significantly higher in the infertile men compared with the fertile ones (36.4% versus 11.5%; p < 0.001). Most of semen parameters were improved (p < 0.05) and reached their normal range, the level of TAC elevated (p < 0.001), and ROS level (p = 0.003) as well as ROS/TAC ratio (p = 0.003) reduced after antibiotic treatment. Moreover, wives of 37 infertile men (61.7%) became pregnant six months after the treatment completion. These findings indicate that Ureaplasma species are correlated with male infertility and that antibiotic therapy can improve the semen parameters and treat the male infertility.

Keywords: Ureaplasma species; Asymptomatic infections; Male infertility; Semen parameters; Antibiotic treatment

Received: September 26, 2016; Accepted: November 15, 2016; Published: May 1, 2017  Show citation

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Ahmadi MH, Mirsalehian A, Gilani MAS, Bahador A, Talebi M, Yazdi RS. Antibiotic treatment of asymptomatic Ureaplasma infection improves semen parameters in infertile men. J Appl Biomed. 2017;15(2):139-145. doi: 10.1016/j.jab.2016.11.004.
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