title: Chlamydia trachomatis occurrence and its impact on sperm quality in chronic prostatitis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) in the pathogenesis of chronic prostatitis and its impact on male fertility remain controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of chlamydial infection in chronic prostatitis patients and its impact on semen quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine and semen samples were assayed for the presence of microbial infection. CT-specific IgG and IgA antibodies were measured in serum and seminal plasma. Semen parameter analysis, anti-sperm antibody determinations and inflammatory cytokines measurements were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT was detected in 10% of semen from chronic prostatitis patients. CT-specific IgG and IgA were found in 7.5% and 32.5% of the seminal plasma and in 15.0% and 2.5% of the serum samples from patients. Most of the patients that evidenced CT infection also evidenced CT-specific antibodies either in semen or in serum. We found that chlamydial infection has no detrimental effects on sperm quality. We neither found abnormal levels of serum PSA nor of seminal inflammatory cytokines in CT-infected patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the potential role of CT in chronic prostatitis, its importance in diagnosis and that this infection does not seriously compromise sperm quality.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología (CIBICI-CONICET), Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, Córdoba, Argentina. rmotrich@bioclin.fcq.unc.edu.ar
authors.forename: Rubén Darío
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Motrich
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuffini
authors.forename: Juan Pablo Mackern
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Oberti
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maccioni
authors.forename: Virginia Elena
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Rivero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011472:Prostatitis / Q000150:complications*; D012661:Semen / Q000276:immunology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G