Oxidative stress and interleukins in seminal plasma during leukocytospermia.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the levels of reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and interleukins (IL) 2 and 8 in seminal plasma of infertile patients as well as to examine the possible relationship between oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines.


METHODS
Semen collected from normal fertile donors, infertile men without symptoms of genitourinary (GU) inflammation, and infertile men with symptoms of infection-inflammation of the GU tract was evaluated for the levels of granulocyte elastase, reactive oxygen species, SOD, IL-2, and IL-8. Any correlation between the levels of reactive oxygen species and other parameters in these population was analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
Significantly high levels of granulocyte elastase (18.32 +/- 1.52 U/L), reactive oxygen species (6 x 10(5) cpm), IL-8 (3.7 +/- 0.10 microgram/L), and IL-2 (18.32 +/- 1.47 ng/L) were observed in semen of infertile patients with leukocytospermia compared with the other two groups. In leukocytospermic samples, the activity of SOD was significantly lower (624.89 +/- 41.16 NU/mL) compared with nonleukocytospermic samples (787.85 +/- 24.26 NU/mL) or fertile donors (816.29 +/- 50.16 NU/mL). A significant positive correlation was observed between the levels of reactive oxygen species and IL-8.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that increased oxidative stress observed during leukocytospermia may modulate the level of proinflammatory cytokines. The increased oxidative stress may be due to a defect in the reactive oxygen species scavenging system.
Rajasekaran
M
M
Department of Urology, Tulane School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112-2699, USA.
Hellstrom
W J
WJ
Naz
R K
RK
Sikka
S C
SC
D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D052801:Male Urogenital Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000201:enzymology; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase / Q000378:metabolism; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
D007376:Interleukin-2; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007378:Interleukins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D019272:Leukocyte Elastase