title: Increased levels of interleukin-6 in seminal plasma of infertile men.
abstract: The presence of various cytokines, namely the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interferon (IFN-gamma), and interleukins (IL-1 beta and IL-6), was investigated in seminal plasma of fertile, infertile, and immunoinfertile men using specific immunoradiometric assays. TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta were not detected. IFN-gamma was detected, but the differences between the levels of fertile and infertile/immunoinfertile were not significant (P > 0.05). IL-6 was detected in seminal plasma with significantly higher levels in infertile/immunoinfertile men compared to those of fertile men. IL-6 was also present in sera, and interestingly, the levels in sera were lower than those in seminal plasma. IL-6 levels in seminal plasma correlated significantly with some sperm parameters and penetration rates in the human sperm penetration assay (SPA). These findings suggest that IL-6 is associated with infertility and may be of importance in specific diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Naz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology*; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma